POST CATEGORY : Information Technology

E-Invoicing: The Unsung Hero in Every Business

As humans, we are constantly searching for ways to improve the processes that we frequently encounter during the course of our daily struggle called life. From the invention of the wheel to the invention of the internet a few decades ago, we humans have always been characterized by a penchant for innovation and an unending thirst for knowledge.

E-invoicing

We’ve come a long way from bartering. We’ve been able to create currencies and now, we’ve even been able to create cryptocurrencies. Gone are the days when manually-written invoices and receipts were the norm — even the process of manually punching in item prices on a cash counter seems primitive.…

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Are You at Risk? Lessons Learnt from Netflix’s Security breach

In 2017, Netflix became one of the many companies to suffer a security breach. A group of hackers known as “thedarkoverlord” had gained access to the then-unreleased series of hit show “Orange is the New Black” and threatened to release it online unless Netflix paid a substantial ransom fee. Although the breach threatened to damage Netflix’s credibility, the company decided not to pay the ransom and were ultimately vindicated.

Netflix

Netflix was able to refuse the hackers’ demands for a number of reasons. Firstly, the majority of subscribers would rather simply wait a few weeks until the official release instead of visiting illegal torrent sites in order to download the leaked episodes.…

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No Hassle Ideas for Adding Bitcoin Capability to Your Brand-New Business

Are you about to start up the business that you’ve spent your life dreaming about and planning? Are you worried about your ability to make that business stand out in a market that might be crowded with competitors who have already established themselves? One way you might be able to make that happen is to allow the digital coins known as Bitcoin to be part of your operations.

Bitcoin accepted here

There have been a lot of reports about this technology that might dissuade you, but many of those reports amount to nothing more than the ill-informed skepticism of people reluctant to change. In actuality, Bitcoin makes for a great fit even for businesses who are just in the process of getting things started.…

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How Much Is Technology Too Much Technology for Your Small Business?

The desire to get ahead in the business world is likely one of the reasons that you became an entrepreneur in the first place. For that reason, it’s probable that you aren’t the type to sit around, stand pat and simply let your company marinate without looking to improve things at every opportunity. And, considering the age in which we live, technology has made it very easy to implement all kinds of innovations for your business. Really the only thing that’s limiting you from change is your imagination for what your business can be.

Self-service checkout

But that doesn’t mean that technology is always a good thing.…

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Choosing the Right Payroll Programs for Small Business

Automating payroll processes promises saved time and increased efficiency, however, the process of switching may appear daunting, particularly if there is uncertainty about which payroll program is right for the organisation. Understanding the many options available will give decision makers confidence in choosing the right solution for their business.

Payroll software

Tips on how to choose the right payroll software solution:

Examine the business needs

No two small businesses are the same and a business will benefit from features that cater to its unique needs. When choosing payroll software, consider the following factors:

  • The size of the business
  • Time allocated to payroll functions
  • Budget available that can be allocated to payroll processing
  • Level of comfort and familiarity with regulatory and legal payroll considerations

When needs have been clearly outlined, finding the software that fits the business will become significantly easier.…

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Tips to Safeguard Your Connected Devices with IoT Security Solutions

A report from Gartner states that in the year 2016, cybercriminals originated distributed denial of services (DDoS) attacks.

Internet of things

During DDoS attacks, hackers exploited possible bottlenecks and security weaknesses such as common weakness enumeration (CWE) in IoT devices. It enabled them in hijacking the devices and turn them into the originators of domain name system (DNS) requests. The primary aim was to direct the real-time traffic to the DNS hosting provider by the name of Dyn, headquartered in the United States. The DDoS attacks afflicted companies like Twitter, Amazon and Netflix and caused them a huge loss of revenue.

To prevent IoT devices from such cyber-attacks, enterprises must convoy them with IoT security solutions.…

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What Small Businesses Need to Know Before Choosing Cloud Hosting

Small businesses are flocking to cloud hosting because it’s affordable, popular and makes sense. Cloud hosting is scalable, so the hosting provider you choose will scale as your business grows. And while small businesses can benefit from the cloud, there are a few aspects to consider first:

Cloud hosting servers room

1. Managed vs Unmanaged Options

Small business owners or teams will quickly find that not all cloud options are created equal. There are managed and unmanaged options available. Unmanaged options are ideal for companies that:

  • Have an in-house IT team
  • Need a custom environment

But small businesses that want a hands-off approach to cloud hosting will want a managed option.…

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Top Considerations for Mobile App Development for SMBs

Smartphones are an essential tool in most people’s day to day routine.  Have to keep organized? Use your calendar app. Need to get to a meeting across town?  Drop the location in your GPS app and head off. Trying to find the best local eatery? Hit up Yelp.

The bottom line is consumers’ smartphones are their modern-day Yoda.  It’s the first place they turn to make a decision. And, this is precisely the reason why your SMB cannot afford to be without a branded mobile app.

Mobile app development

Mobile apps create a virtual relationship between an SMB and its customers. That is if you structure and build your app correctly.…

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How Do We Adopt ITIL Outside IT?

“Can you adopt ITIL outside of IT” was the first question when I interviewed for a service desk job 4 years ago. “No, ITIL is specifically designed for IT”, was my innocent answer back then. It sounded like a crazy idea, then, when I didn’t have a clear understanding of how businesses run.

ITIL

My bookish knowledge told me that ITIL was meant only for IT, and other departments probably had their own best practice framework.

How very wrong I was…

I failed to see the similarity between an IT Team and other support functions that provide services to employees. I’ve since learned, the nature of work they do might differ, but the relationship with internal customers is the same.…

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What Does Web Application Penetration Mean

Web Application Penetration Testing is the procedure which uses penetration testing methods on a web app to find vulnerabilities. The process uses either manual or automated tests to spot any vulnerability, security issues, or threats to web applications. Using any of the known malicious attacks, the tester mimics attacks from the attacker’s point of view — such as using SQL injection testing.

Web application penetration testing

The main result identifies security weaknesses across the entire app and components, including source code and back-end network. The testing assists in prioritizing known vulnerabilities and threats, as well as searches for a way to mitigate gaps in security.…

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