Data security has become critical to success in today’s complex, data-driven business environments. Companies must continually assess and strengthen their data security posture to maintain trust, stay compliant, and avoid expensive (and embarrassing) breaches.

 

However, evaluating and improving this posture requires understanding where the organisation’s data security stands, what needs immediate attention, and how to sustain ongoing improvements.

 

Assess Your Current Data Security Posture

Before making improvements, you need to have a comprehensive understanding of your current state. An initial assessment involves a thorough audit of where sensitive data resides, how it’s classified, and which protections are in place. This consists of:

 

• Data Discovery and Classification: To locate sensitive data assets, begin with data discovery across both on-premises and cloud environments. Categorising data into classes (public, private, restricted) helps prioritise protection efforts.
• Access Controls and Permissions Review: Evaluate access controls and permissions to ensure that only authorised individuals can access sensitive data. Mismanaged permissions and excessive access rights are common gaps that can lead to vulnerabilities.
• Compliance Audit: Review your data handling policies against compliance requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. Identify areas where compliance is lacking and flag these for immediate improvement.

 

Conducting this assessment provides a clear baseline, helping to identify security gaps and prioritise areas for intervention.

Identify and Mitigate Risks

With an understanding of where data is and how it’s managed, the next step is identifying specific risks and addressing them with targeted controls.

 

For starters, regular vulnerability scans and occasional penetration tests can reveal gaps in your security configurations. These scans help pinpoint and address issues you may have, like misconfigurations, weak access controls, and potential vulnerabilities in security infrastructure.

 

Also, adopting a least privilege access policy limits access to your data, allowing only the minimum necessary permissions. Implementing this policy shrinks the attack surface, protects data from insider threats in your business, and reduces exposure in case of external breaches.

 

Finally, ongoing monitoring of your data environment provides real-time alerts for suspicious activities or policy violations, allowing quicker response and remediation. This is particularly critical for cloud environments, where data access can be harder to control.

Prioritise and Address High-Risk Areas

While security teams often face a wide array of risks, prioritising them based on the impact on data security can streamline resource allocation and response.

 

Risk Scoring and Analysis: The team prioritises and scores each risk based on data sensitivity, compliance implications, and potential business impact. This enables the team to allocate resources to the most pressing risks first.

Incident Response Planning: Design a plan for responding to data security incidents, detailing the steps for containment, eradication, and recovery. Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear and regularly test the plan to refine response processes.

Guided Remediation: To avoid overlooking critical risks, follow guided remediation practices that use a context-aware approach to resolve issues quickly. For example, address data exposure risks first, then focus on reinforcing configurations and access policies.

Implement Security Controls and Policies

Implementing targeted controls and policies creates a sustainable, enforceable framework for data security. While these controls may vary based on the company’s data needs and infrastructure, several foundational practices benefit most setups.

 

These include encrypting data at rest and in transit to protect it from unsanctioned access. This adds a layer of security, making it harder for attackers to extract information even if they gain access. Also, consider separating your sensitive data from the broader network to limit exposure. Network segmentation and data isolation practices ensure that access to sensitive data is restricted and protected.

 

As always, build your staff’s knowledge through security awareness training, stressing the importance of data protection practices. Data breaches often stem from human error, so ongoing training can help mitigate risks associated with phishing, weak passwords, and data mismanagement.

Continuously Monitor to Improve Your Security Posture

Data security is not a one-time task; it requires continuous oversight and improvement. Regular evaluations of policies and controls can identify emerging risks and maintain high protection standards.

 

• Regular Audits: Periodic security audits allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of your current controls and make necessary adjustments. These audits should assess all aspects of data security, from permissions management to encryption practices.
• Adaptive Policies: Security threats constantly evolve, and your security policies should evolve accordingly. Regularly update your security and compliance policies to reflect changes in regulations, technologies, and threats.
• Automation and Analytics: Leverage security automation and analytics tools to streamline incident response and improve visibility. Automated security tools can monitor for threats, trigger alerts, and respond to incidents, allowing your team to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Building on a Solid Foundation

After building a foundation of robust data security practices, consider how a Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) solution can augment and sustain these improvements.

 

DSPM tools support businesses in three primary ways. They streamline data security by automating the discovery and classification of sensitive data, offer real-time visibility into vulnerabilities and access issues, and simplify compliance through built-in regulatory frameworks that flag violations and automate reporting, ensuring a broad and responsive approach to data protection.

 

By adding DSPM to the security mix, businesses can automate aspects of their security posture management, enabling faster, more effective responses to emerging threats. As a result, DSPM enhances overall data protection, reduces the risk of compliance breaches, and ensures that your company stays ahead of evolving data security challenges.

 

The post How to Evaluate and Improve Your Organisation’s Data Security Posture appeared first on IT Security Guru.

In today’s interconnected world, national security concerns have evolved beyond traditional military threats. 

As technology advances, so do the methods and motivations of those who seek to disrupt global stability. Understanding these threats is crucial for nations looking to protect their citizens, economies, and overall stability. 

This article will examine some of the most pressing threats to global national security today, with a particular emphasis on emerging digital and environmental concerns.

1. Cybersecurity Threats and Digital Warfare

One of the most significant threats to national security in the modern era is cyber warfare. Cyber attacks can compromise critical infrastructure, financial systems, and sensitive government data. 

With more nations and corporations investing heavily in digital platforms, cybersecurity investments have become paramount. 

Cyber attackers can be state-sponsored actors or independent entities seeking to steal sensitive data or manipulate systems for political or financial gain. The risk posed by these actors continues to grow as nations rely increasingly on interconnected digital infrastructure.

Types of Cybersecurity Threats

• Malware and Ransomware: These can disable systems or steal data for ransom.
• Phishing and Social Engineering: These tactics manipulate individuals to disclose sensitive information.
• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: These disrupt services, causing significant downtime for governments and industries.

As nations work to bolster their defenses, cybersecurity threats demand constant attention due to the rapid pace of technological advancement and the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals.

2. Bioterrorism and Public Health Threats

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of global health systems to viral outbreaks. However, there’s an equally grave concern regarding the intentional release of harmful biological agents. 

Bioterrorism, the deliberate spread of viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens, can cripple a nation by overwhelming healthcare systems, creating widespread panic, and causing substantial economic harm.

Impact of Bioterrorism on National Security

An effective bioterrorism attack could destabilize not only the targeted nation but also create ripple effects across the globe, given our interconnected world. Preparing for and preventing such attacks requires significant investments in public health infrastructure, early detection systems, and coordinated response strategies.

3. Climate Change and Environmental Disruptions

Another often overlooked but critical threat to national security is climate change. The effects of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and resource shortages contribute to instability worldwide. 

Droughts, floods, and wildfires not only strain local governments but also displace populations, creating refugees and exacerbating political tensions. Resource scarcity can lead to increased competition for essential goods such as water and food, resulting in conflicts both within and between nations.

Climate Change-Induced Migration

In regions where resources are already scarce, climate change can exacerbate poverty and food insecurity. Consequently, climate migration becomes a critical concern, as people flee affected areas, adding pressure on neighboring regions and sometimes sparking political conflict. 

National security policies must consider the long-term implications of climate change to maintain regional stability and manage the social, political, and economic effects of environmental disruptions according to resustain.com

4. Economic Espionage and Intellectual Property Theft

As economies become increasingly knowledge-driven, economic espionage and intellectual property (IP) theft present growing threats to national security. 

State-sponsored groups and private actors are known to infiltrate foreign corporations and research institutions to steal trade secrets, innovations, and technology. This practice undermines fair competition, impacts economic growth, and threatens the competitive advantage of a nation’s industries.

Consequences of Economic Espionage

Economic espionage affects not only targeted companies but also national security, as stolen technology can be used to gain a military or strategic advantage. 

Governments and businesses must work together to strengthen IP protections and raise awareness of these risks in vulnerable sectors, such as technology, defense, and pharmaceuticals.

5. Global Terrorism and Extremism

Despite advances in counter-terrorism efforts, global terrorism remains a persistent and evolving threat. Extremist groups continue to exploit political instability, poverty, and disenfranchisement, particularly in regions where government control is weak. 

With the use of social media and encrypted communication channels, terrorist organizations have expanded their reach, recruiting members and coordinating attacks globally.

Hybrid Threats: Blending Terrorism with Cyber Attacks

A recent trend among extremist groups is to leverage cyber capabilities alongside traditional terrorism. By attacking critical infrastructure, such as power grids and communication networks, these groups can amplify the effects of their physical attacks and create widespread panic. 

Addressing terrorism requires a multifaceted approach that includes law enforcement, social policies to prevent radicalization, and international cooperation to dismantle networks of extremism.

6. Nuclear Proliferation and Weapons of Mass Destruction

The spread of nuclear technology and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) poses a significant risk to global stability. As more countries and non-state actors gain access to nuclear materials, the likelihood of catastrophic conflict increases. 

Nations with nuclear capabilities can use them as leverage in geopolitical disputes, while the risk of these weapons falling into the hands of rogue states or terrorist groups adds another layer of complexity to national security.

Diplomatic Solutions and International Agreements

The threat of nuclear proliferation requires international cooperation, rigorous arms control measures, and the enforcement of treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Diplomatic efforts must be strengthened to prevent an arms race and encourage peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes, ensuring global security.

Conclusion

The scope of national security threats today is broader and more complex than ever. From cybersecurity risks to climate change, global terrorism, and nuclear proliferation, nations face challenges that demand strategic foresight and cooperation. 

Each of these threats requires a unique approach to mitigation, highlighting the need for investments in technology, intelligence, and international collaboration. 

National security is no longer solely about defending borders; it is about safeguarding the fundamental elements that contribute to global stability and human prosperity.

 

The post What are the key Threats to Global National Security? appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Email security relies on timely, accurate information. Security solutions need information to detect and prevent threats, organizations need information to inform their security strategies, and users need information to identify, avoid, and report potential risks. As such, research efforts like the VIPRE Q3 Email Threat Trends Report are invaluable resources for anyone seeking to protect themselves from email threat actors. So, let’s cover some of the key takeaways from the report so you can incorporate them into your email security efforts.

Email Threat Actors Bypass Traditional Defenses

The key takeaway from this quarter’s report is that as email security threats evolve, email threat actors are changing their tactics to adapt. VIPRE’s proprietary sandboxing software and their Link Isolation tool caught 12.3 million malicious emails in Q3 2024 – up from 11 million last year – which suggests that cybercriminals are working harder than ever to obfuscate their tactics and avoid detection.

 

Similarly, VIPRE’s ThreatAnalyzer technologies, incorporated into their attachment and link sandboxing tools, caught an additional 68,000 nefarious links that had slipped past previous defenses. Again, it’s clear that traditional email security solutions can no longer prevent the most sophisticated attacks.

 

These links bypass traditional email defenses because threat actors use URL detection to great effect. This attack method utilizes a “clean” URL within the body of the email before redirecting the user to a malicious one upon clicking it.

 

These findings offer us a valuable lesson: organizations that only run legacy email security tools like spam filters and secure email gateways (SEGs) are vulnerable to exploitation, and sandboxing technologies are crucial for comprehensive protection.

AI-Powered Scams Continue to Present a Risk

Traditional email scams were relatively easy to identify. Scammers, either out of incompetence, laziness, or their tenuous grasp of the English language, typically crafted email copy riddled with errors. However, in recent years, threat actors have started using generative AI tools to craft convincing scam emails that are, to the naked eye, at least, indistinguishable from legitimate ones. The UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) warned of this trend way back in January.

 

Q3 2024 saw a continuation of this trend. VIPRE’s AI detection tools revealed that 36% of business email compromise (BEC) samples in Q3 2024 were crafted by AI. The lesson here is that organizations and individuals can no longer rely on many of the traditional indicators of scam emails. Instead, users should stay vigilant for non-personalized greetings, email content that attempts to prompt a sense of urgency or fear, suspicious email domains, and emails that impersonate high-level executives they wouldn’t usually receive communications from.

In Q3 2024, threat actors primarily impersonated CEOs and Executives (57%), Directors, Managers, and Supervisors (26%), and IT Personnel (9%) to spoof potential victims. So, stay extra vigilant when receiving messages from these senders.

Critical Infrastructure Hit Hard in Q3 2024

Targeting critical infrastructure is, in many ways, something of a no-brainer for email threat actors. These organizations typically house huge amounts of sensitive information, have a low tolerance for down time, and offer geopolitical advantages for nation-state backed attackers. Unsurprisingly then, attackers hit critical infrastructure hard in Q3 2024.

 

Manufacturing (27%) suffered the most from BEC, phishing, and malspam emails this quarter. Aside from the reasons listed above, the manufacturing sector is fast becoming a favorite target for many threat actors as environments that were traditionally air-gapped are now being brought online. The rest of this quarter’s top five is comprised of the energy (23%), retail (10%), utilities (7%), and real estate (6%) sectors. Organizations operating in these sectors would be well advised to shore up their defenses.

 

Interestingly, however, the financial sector, which has been a mainstay in these rankings for some time, suffered relatively few attacks in Q3 2024. This is, perhaps, because the sector has improved its defenses and is no longer seen as an easy target for attackers. However, it’s important financial organizations don’t get complacent – email threat actors could return to their traditional targets at any time.

RedLine Malware Takes the Top Spot

The RedLine Stealer malware was the top malware family in Q3 2024. This malware family extracts sensitive data from victims’ web browsers, including credentials, payment details, and even cryptocurrency wallet information. It uses a customizable file-grabber to target specific file types and directories, like the Desktop and Documents folders on a PC. It can also take screenshots of sensitive data and execute additional commands or payloads on compromised systems.

 

Threat actors typically distribute RedLine through phishing emails – particularly through seemingly harmless attachments disguised as PDFs, executable files, or Office Suite documents – and malicious websites, so encourage your staff to be extra careful when clicking attachments and links in unsolicited emails.

Looking Ahead

It’s clear from VIPRE’s report that the email threat landscape is getting increasingly treacherous. As threat actors evolve their tactics, it’s crucial for all organizations to review their email security strategies to ensure they keep pace with emerging tools and techniques. Failing to do so will almost certainly result in disaster.

The post Evolving Email Threats and How to Protect Against Them appeared first on IT Security Guru.

October is widely regarded as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. While awareness is crucial in our increasingly perilous cyber landscape – where threats to both organisations and individuals are growing in scale and sophistication – action is now paramount. Recent research indicates that 95% of IT leaders believe cyber attacks are more advanced than ever, largely due to the accessibility of AI technologies. Alarmingly, these threats will only continue to evolve.

 

Awareness serves as a starting point for a more cyber-secure digital world, but it is imperative for everyone to take proactive measures to protect themselves online. These measures don’t have to be monumental – often, returning to fundamental practices is the best approach. Essential habits, such as robust password security and routine software updates, remain vital regardless of the sophistication of threats. So, where should we begin? 

 

Strong Passwords: Simple but Critical

 

Password security is frequently neglected, despite being a primary entry point for cybercriminals. The importance of creating strong passwords and maintaining good password hygiene cannot be overstated. A strong password should consist of at least 16 characters, incorporating a mix of special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers, and be unique for each account. Yet, many people worldwide admit to poor password practices, such as writing them down or insecurely sharing them with others, and password reuse remains a significant issue. 

 

In a world where individuals often juggle numerous credentials for both personal and professional use, it’s no surprise that 62% of people globally feel overwhelmed by password management. This stress can lead to complacency, as remembering multiple unique and lengthy passwords can be challenging. One effective solution is to use a password manager, which can securely store passwords and generate strong, unique ones for every account. Additionally, conduct an audit of your credentials and proactively update any passwords that may be inadequate. Don’t wait for a breach to act! 

 

Extra Defences: The Importance of Multi-Factor Authentication 

 

Cybercriminals are motivated by the ease of attacks. AI has accelerated the ability to brute force access into systems using leaked or easily guessable credentials. If an account is protected by only a weak password, or a password that’s been leaked in a breach, cybercriminals can exploit it with minimal effort. This is why Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is essential. 

 

While it may seem straightforward, ensuring MFA is enabled on all accounts significantly enhances security. MFA methods can include using authenticator apps or receiving one-time passwords via mobile devices each time you access an account. Many sites are beginning to require users to opt in for MFA, and several major organisations are now making it mandatory. For example, Microsoft has recently announced that MFA will be mandatory for all Azure users – an important step for cybersecurity. Review your accounts and enable MFA proactively; now is the time to prepare. 

 

Update Your Software Regularly

 

Software updates are often associated with new features and capabilities, but they are also critical for security. Regular updates patch vulnerabilities and address bugs. According to research, many individuals delay updating their devices for various reasons, such as not knowing how to do it, inconvenience, concerns about performance impact or mistakenly believing that updates are unnecessary. 

 

In reality, keeping devices updated is one of the simplest ways to maintain cybersecurity. Regularly check for updates and act immediately when they are available. Many devices offer automatic updates, so it’s wise to enable this feature where possible. 

 

Stay Alert for Phishing Attacks 

 

Finally, it’s critical to recognise the signs of phishing emails. Research shows that phishing is the fastest-growing attack vector for organisations. AI is making it increasingly difficult to identify phishing attempts, as generative AI tools improve the crafting and targeting of malicious communications, making them appear more authentic.  

 

To spot a phishing email, look for signs of poor grammar and spelling, hover over the sender’s name to review the email address for subtle inconsistencies, be cautious of urgent language and avoid clicking on links – though this is not an exhaustive list. Always exercise caution when engaging with unfamiliar senders. If you receive an unexpected email from a colleague requesting urgent assistance, confirm it by calling them. 

 

Taking it one step further, reporting phishing attempts can contribute to broader community awareness of emerging threats. 

 

And Action! 

 

Taking action doesn’t have to be complex. In fact, sometimes the most effective strategy is to go back to the basics. By ensuring fundamental security practices are in place, we can build a stronger cybersecurity culture. Awareness is valuable, but action is essential. 

The post Cybersecurity Action Month: When Awareness Must Lead to Action appeared first on IT Security Guru.

As SaaS (Software as a Service) companies grow, maintaining efficiency across revenue-generating teams can become a challenge. Enter Revenue Operations (RevOps)—a strategic approach that aligns sales, marketing, and customer success teams to streamline processes, improve data transparency, and drive growth.

A RevOps consultant can bring significant value to your SaaS business by implementing best practices and technologies that optimise these areas, ensuring all teams work cohesively to achieve shared goals.

Cross-Team Alignment

One of the primary benefits of engaging a RevOps consultant is their ability to break down silos within your organisation. SaaS companies, particularly those scaling quickly, often face challenges in ensuring that sales, marketing, and customer success teams are working together towards the same objectives. These teams may operate independently, leading to disjointed strategies, inefficient processes, and lost opportunities for growth.

A RevOps consultant will work with each team to align their efforts around common metrics and shared goals. For example, they can help implement an integrated CRM system that allows marketing to see which leads convert best, sales to track the most promising prospects, and customer success to understand where customers might need extra support.

This alignment reduces friction, increases efficiency, and ensures a more seamless customer journey from acquisition to retention. According to Forrester, companies with strong sales and marketing alignment can achieve 36% higher customer retention rates, a crucial factor for SaaS businesses that rely on recurring revenue.

Look At Revenue Processes

For SaaS businesses, growth relies heavily on scalable, repeatable processes across sales, marketing, and customer success. A RevOps consultant can help your business by reviewing and optimising these revenue processes. This includes refining lead generation and scoring methodologies in marketing, improving deal flow and pipeline management in sales, and ensuring that customer success is proactively driving retention and expansion opportunities.

RevOps consultants often employ data-driven approaches to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the revenue pipeline. They can help develop automation strategies that reduce manual tasks, allowing teams to focus on high-value activities. In a SaaS context, this could mean automating workflows such as lead nurturing, sales outreach, or customer feedback collection.

For instance, a RevOps consultant might implement automated sequences that alert customer success teams when a user’s product usage declines, enabling proactive engagement to reduce churn.

By improving the efficiency of these processes, SaaS businesses can scale more effectively, leading to increased revenue without a proportional rise in operational costs. A study by Salesforce found that organisations with mature RevOps processes can see a 19% faster growth rate than those without.

Improving Data and Reporting Capabilities

In the data-driven world of SaaS, having accurate and actionable insights is critical to driving revenue growth. However, data is often fragmented across different tools used by sales, marketing, and customer success teams, making it difficult to get a clear picture of business performance. A RevOps consultant helps centralise data from various sources and builds robust reporting systems that enable better decision-making.

They can create dashboards that provide visibility into key performance metrics such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (CLTV), and churn rate. This enables leadership teams to make data-backed decisions about resource allocation, strategy, and growth initiatives. Additionally, by providing a unified view of the customer journey, RevOps consultants help businesses identify trends and opportunities for cross-selling, upselling, or reducing churn.

Driving Sustainable Growth

Ultimately, a RevOps consultant helps SaaS businesses unlock sustainable growth by creating a more efficient, scalable, and data-driven revenue engine. In the UK’s increasingly competitive SaaS landscape, where customer acquisition costs are rising and customer retention is critical to long-term success, the role of RevOps is becoming essential.

By aligning revenue teams, optimising processes, and improving data transparency, a RevOps consultant ensures that your business can scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on both customer acquisition and retention.

Engaging a RevOps consultant can provide immediate and long-term benefits, helping your SaaS company grow faster and more sustainably, with streamlined operations and a unified approach to driving revenue growth across all teams.

The post How a RevOps Consultant Can Drive Growth for Your SaaS Business appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Net-Zero Building Certification  is a credential that identifies structures which have attained parity between the amount of energy they use and how much renewable energy they produce in twelve months’ time.

This guide will outline step by step what you need to know about obtaining and maintaining your own net-zero building certification.

 

Analyze Your Building’s Energy Performance

To get a certification for net-zero building, it is important that you evaluate how your building uses energy at present. To do this:

Initially, conduct an entire energy audit. This entails studying bills, examining systems and gauging energy flows.

During the audit, find out where power is wasted. Examples are; insulation that is not done well enough, air passing through gaps in the walls, outdated light bulbs among others.

You should also match the results of your study with what is required for certification. This will highlight areas that need better energy efficiency from you.

Make sure that the targets which you set in accordance with findings of audits are clear and measurable as well as based on requirements for certifications only. They must be both realistic and challenging.

This phase is very important in understanding the energy profile of your building and planning for it. 

 

Design a Strategy for Energy Efficiency

To create an effective energy efficiency strategy for your net-zero building, concentrate on four main areas:

 

1. Use Technologies That Save Energy – Replace inefficient appliances, lights and equipment with those that are energy efficient. Fixtures or controls should be installed so as to optimize the use of energy through lighting.

 

2. Improve Building Envelope – This can be achieved by enhancing insulation, sealing off air leaks and installing high-performance windows that reduce loss of heat to the outer environment.

 

3. Incorporate Renewable Sources of Energy – You may consider setting up solar panels, wind turbines or even geothermal systems onsite which will provide clean power for all your building needs.

 

4. Building Operations – Implement energy-saving practices such as adjusting HVAC schedules, promoting energy-conscious behavior, and regular equipment maintenance. Ensure building systems operate at peak efficiency.

The key is a multi-pronged approach targeting energy-intensive areas. A holistic strategy addressing all these aspects will maximize energy savings and progress towards net-zero.

 

Navigate the Certification Process

The certification process is the most important step after implementation of energy-saving measures and it requires some key steps that should be well prepared and paid attention to in detail.

 

Choose the right Certification Body

Research on different programs for certifying net-zero buildings then evaluate them so as to find one that best suits your type of construction, location and specific objectives. Some of the things you can consider include the reputation of the program, what it requires from applicants as well as cost implications associated with getting accredited under such a scheme.

 

Prepare Necessary Documentation

Gather and organize all the documentation required by the certification body, such as energy audits, building plans, energy data, and proof of implemented efficiency measures. Ensure they are complete and accurate.

 

Submit Your Application

After obtaining every required document, complete application forms provided by relevant authorities then send them back along with necessary attachments plus applicable charges within set time frames indicated in their guidelines.

 

Address Feedback and Adjust

Expect some inquiries or even demands for more clarifications from those who review applications for certifications. Whenever faced with such a situation, do necessary corrections either on structures of your establishment itself or supporting documents until everything meets required standards for awarding this status.

 

The key is to know these conditions well before starting anything else. Prepare adequately including making an application promptly while responding positively where necessary based on available information during each stage towards successful completion of the procedure.

 

Monitor and Maintain Certification

Obtaining net-zero certification is just the first step – consistent monitoring and adjustments are necessary to maintain that status. You need to:

 

• Set Up Continuous Monitoring – Establish a system for continuous monitoring of your building’s energy performance to ensure it meets the net-zero standards.

 

• Adjust Building Operations – Regularly adjust building operations based on monitoring data to optimize energy efficiency and maintain net-zero performance.

 

• Conduct Regular Audits – Conduct regular energy audits to identify any areas for improvement and ensure your building remains compliant with the certification standards.

 

• Renew Certification – Most net-zero building certifications require periodic renewal, typically every few years. Be sure to follow the renewal process and provide the necessary documentation.

 

Leverage Your Net-Zero Building Certification

Exhibit your commitment to sustainability in promotional activities. More so than just polishing up a corporate image, this puts others under pressure.

Involve tenants, staff and stakeholders in the process. Educate them about ways of saving energy and celebrate achievements together. To remain at net-zero levels calls for a combined endeavor which calls for appreciating each other’s efforts.

Certifications are great assets for attracting green lessees or investors. Point out energy-saving measures and state-of-the-art technology used in the building.

You might want to consider sharing what you have learned during this sustainable journey with others within this industry because there could be still room left for more adoption of such practices. Tell your own story at different conferences through case studies or networking sessions – it can really change things up!

You didn’t work hard just to earn that certification then let everything else go down the drain. Use this opportunity wisely so as benefits can accrue not only to buildings but also stakeholders as well as the environment surrounding us because when promoted efficiently will have significant results in hand.

 

Address Challenges and Obstacles

Expect to have difficulties in getting net-zero certification due to financial limitations or getting stakeholders involved. Here’s how:

 

1.Overcome Financial Barriers – it is expensive to adopt strategies for achieving net-zero therefore seek alternative methods of funding such as incentives and rebates which can help offset initial costs.

 

2. Technical Hurdles – solve all the technical problems that may arise during the certification process like incorporating renewable energy sources into the system or optimizing building services.

 

3. Stakeholder Involvement – at every stage make sure there is buy-in from stakeholders by explaining benefits and addressing their concerns too.

 

4. Changing Regulations – always stay updated with changes in codes, standards or regulations governing construction industry then adjust your approach accordingly so as not lose track with compliance requirements.

With these steps one can get through gaining and keeping net zero building certifications thus showing commitment towards environmentalism within constructed areas.

 

Conclusion

However as you set off on this path towards a greener future, do not forget that keeping your Building Passport current is not just about checking boxes. It is an act of sustainable stewardship which involves continuous improvement.

Keep engaging team members, refreshing tactics used while being mindful about how well the structure functions overall. Let challenges be spring boards for greater achievement so that pride may accompany each new visa stamp.

Because in reality, every little stride counts towards saving our planet!

The post How Tech Can Help you Obtain a Building Passport: Net-Zero Building Certification Guide first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post How Tech Can Help you Obtain a Building Passport: Net-Zero Building Certification Guide appeared first on IT Security Guru.

As more of our personal data is collected online, privacy concerns have increased. With a few clicks, we share intimate details about ourselves. However, most people are unaware of how widely their data spreads. Behind the scenes is an entire industry of data brokers that profits off of our digital footprints. Data brokers are businesses or individuals who collect and sell people’s personal information, including phone details and browsing behavior. In this post, we will look at how data brokers operate and some critical steps we can take to protect our personal information better.

Data Collection

Data brokers obtain data from many public and commercial sources. They can easily collect information through websites and applications without your knowledge by paying app developers to include SDKs (software development kits) inside their apps. 

Various permissions granted to apps, like access to contacts or location, can then be recorded by the data broker’s SDKs. They can also directly pay app owners to get the information without having to install the software kits. 

Another way of gathering information is through public records, such as voter registration, birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and divorce records. The Internet is also a rich source of information. Data brokers can collect personal details from things like the posts someone has made or interacted with on social platforms, quizzes they’ve completed online, contests they’ve entered virtually, or websites they’ve browsed.

Data Usage

Some main ways customer data is used include targeting online ads based on purchase history to make ads more relevant. Data brokers can tell advertisers what brands a person has bought and when they may need more, allowing timed ads. 

Customer data is also used for fraud detection, such as checking loan applications against background information from data brokers. This helps lenders validate information such as income and debts listed. 

Loan and insurance companies buy data to see a person’s debts, loans, payments, income, job history, and assets. People search sites also rely on information from data brokers to display names, addresses, ages, and other details when people search for someone. 

Privacy Protection

There are many ways of protecting your privacy online. 

1.Data Removal Services

Many reliable services can help in removing your information from data broker websites.  They scan the web for your information on sites like data brokers and search engines and then submit requests to have the data removed.

Make sure you choose the right service provider and go through user comments. Reliable companies like DeleteMe are backed by real testimonies; you can check DeleteMe reviews here.

2.Data Sharing and Data Privacy Tools 

You should also limit what you share online. Only share the minimum amount of information necessary, and avoid sharing sensitive information like address and phone number. You can also take advantage of tools like VPNs and secure browsers. A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your connection, preventing internet tracking, which brokers rely on. Secure browsers block trackers and fingerprints, so your activity isn’t linked to you.

3.Digital Footprint and Fine Print

Consider deleting unused apps and online apps. Be conscious of privacy settings on devices, apps, and social media profiles, and ensure they are adjusted to maximum privacy. Be wary of agreeing to privacy policies or terms of service without thoroughly reading them, especially the fine print. 

Endnote

While data brokers operate largely unseen, their impact on our digital lives is immense. Navigating today’s digital landscape requires vigilance. By staying informed and taking some precautions, we can navigate the digital landscape with greater confidence and control.

 

The post Data Brokers: What They Are and How to Safeguard Your Privacy first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Data Brokers: What They Are and How to Safeguard Your Privacy appeared first on IT Security Guru.

On this World Password Day, we should all pause and think about how we can adopt passkeys. Passkeys represent a significant industry shift in identity security, moving away from traditional credentials of usernames and passwords to a more secure “no knowledge” approach to authentication that is a vastly better user experience. As a form of passwordless authentication, passkeys aim to eliminate the inherent risk factors of traditional credentials.

 

Why not go further than “thinking and reading about passkeys?” Try passkeys! Here are the steps to set up a passkey in the Google Chrome browser on a Windows 11 laptop that is already enabled with Windows Hello Face Recognition:

 

Log on to your Google Account at myaccount.google.com using Chrome browser.

 

• On the left side of the window, click on Security.
• Under the “How you sign in to Google” section, click on Passkeys.
• Click the “Create a Passkey” button.
• Follow the prompts to verify your identity and “Save your Passkey”.
• Set the option to skip passwords when possible, in your security settings.
• Test your passkey by signing out and signing in again.

 

Passkeys can be created on these devices:

• A computer that runs Windows 10 or 11, macOS Ventura+, or ChromeOS 120
• A mobile device that runs at least iOS 16 or Android 9
• A modern browser such as Chrome v123.0 or Edge v123.0
• A hardware security key that supports the FIDO2 protocol (optional)

 

And remember, any use of biometrics and biometric data for fingerprint or face unlock remains on your device and is never shared with Google (in this example) or any website that accepts passkey.

 

In the spirit of World Password Day, now let’s delve into better password hygiene and password management practices. First, it’s time to do away with weak and reused passwords. Use complex passwords with>16 random characters or passphrases unique for every login. Since that can be onerous, using a password manager is optimal. Password managers can auto-generate and securely vault complex passwords. Plus, with a password manager, there is only one password you’ll have to remember: the one for your vault.

 

Passwords alone are woefully insufficient; you should always use multi-factor authentication (MFA). By combining multiple factors of authentication, you verify that the use of your credentials is really YOU. MFA is still considered a significant (albeit not a complete) deterrent for hackers attempting account takeover.

 

The post World Password Day 2024: Try Passkeys! first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post World Password Day 2024: Try Passkeys! appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Search giant Google is currently undergoing one of its biggest algorithm updates in its history, sources are told.

The online search platform which manages more than 8 billion searches per day is doing a significant update to its internal systems which will impact how search queries will be shown, with attention to parasite websites, improved quality rankings and spam policies.

The core update as it is known has been processed for around 2 months, starting on 5th March 2024 and ending officially on 5th May 2024, which is shown on the Google Status Dashboard.

 

Why Does Google Update its Algorithms?

The search company typically updates their search algorithm every couple of months to increase the quality of search results for their users looking for products, services, information and everything in between. From checking the weather, to finding a nearby plumber or to answer questions and queries, Google remains the go to place for online search requests and is the search engine with the largest market share in most parts of the world.

Certain algorithm updates address particularly search issues, including mobile quality, site speed, trust and authority (E-E-A-T), spam and general quality. The updates are used to constantly improve the quality of search results on the web and those companies and websites that appear.

In many respects, Google uses algorithm updates to massively remove the poor quality, which is often manipulated by SEO (search engine optimisation) professionals using alternative and often unsavory techniques. 

In this particular core update from March 2024 to May 2024, Google speak about reducing spam and how the impact of this update should reduce overall spam by 40% across all their searches. Here is an excerpt from their blog announcement below:

 

 

What Google is Addressing in This Update?

Scaled Content

The use of AI and ChatGPT has made the process of writing and scaling content extremely fast for website owners. For those that used to spend months or years creating individual and unique content can now produce this in just a matter of hours. 

For Google this is creating a dramatic surge in new pages and websites to index, faster than Google can often process. But in this update, Google is trying to decipher between content that is unique and original with those that is AI generated, again rewarding those that have taken time to write something unique and not scaled their websites with poor quality using AI.

 

Site Reputation

Google thrives to reward companies with the most quality content that is created by legitimate authors and reputable individuals and websites.

This includes the use of third party content whereby tough-to-rank industries such as casinos and payday loans use trusted news or authoritative third party sites to produce long articles for the sake of gaming the rankings. This low quality content should thus be removed or majorly de-valued in the upcoming core update.

Additional authority measures may include having legitimate authors on guides and posts, dates it was created and clear references – to show trust and value to users. Websites in highly competitive industries such as health and finance that do not uphold these standards may find themselves on the wrong side of the algorithm update and suffering huge losses in rankings and traffic.

 

Expired Domain Abuse

The practice of purchasing old domain names for the sake of redirecting them to pass on search value is something that Google is addressing in this update.

Their blog explains that this process can mislead users into thinking that the content is part of an older website or brand which may not be the case – and is only used to pass on ranking value. In this update, using expired domains may now be considered as spam.

The algorithm update concludes on 5th May 2024 with dramatic shifts in search positions expected in the run up to this core update.

The post Google’s Core Update is ‘Biggest’ Algorithm Update in History first appeared on IT Security Guru.

The post Google’s Core Update is ‘Biggest’ Algorithm Update in History appeared first on IT Security Guru.