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  • 4 Ways Malware Can Still Hurt You in 2021

    4 Ways Malware Can Still Hurt You in 2021

    If your acquaintance with malware boils down to viruses and you think that antivirus is sufficient protection, you need to be updated on the topic. In 2021, there’s still a multitude of harmful programs that can do a lot of damage to your system. Here’s how. 

    Malware Problem 2021

    Types of Malware

    Malware is an umbrella term, a combination of “malicious” and “software”, that encompasses several potentially harmful software types. Experts specify from five to more than twenty of them, the most common being:

    • Viruses
    • Worms
    • Trojans
    • Spyware and adware
    • Ransomware
    • Rootkits
    • Keyloggers
    • Bots

    Long list, isn’t it? This is not comprehensive, however. There are even more types of harmful software – polymorphic and mobile malware, browser hijackers, and other, less common, variations.

    All of them are still thriving in 2021, despite the advancement of endpoint protection software, and every malware type can be damaging to your system in its own way. 

    Some are extremely hard to detect and remove, so it’s better to prevent contamination in the first place than to deal with the consequences of your carelessness.

    In this article, we’ve put together a list of the most common ways malware can do damage to your system in 2021. Read it attentively and take the necessary precautions!

    1. Stealing Sensitive Data

    The Internet is undoubtedly one of humanity’s greatest achievements ever. Sadly, it’s also one of the greatest threats to every individual’s privacy at the same time.

    Every time we use it, be it to pay for online purchases or to look for essay help from an essay writing help service, we put our personal data at risk. In the best-case scenario, we’re only risking our reputation. The worst output can be the leakage of important credentials like passport data or credit card numbers.

    There are plenty of ways how hackers can obtain this data, from using spyware and keyloggers to sophisticated social engineering tactics. The latter ones have been reported to be on the rise since the pandemic began, and the only way to defend against them is for you to be vigilant.

    2. Damaging Your Files

    Ransomware is another malware type that’s enjoying momentum in 2021. Its name speaks for itself: it’s designed to steal something and then make the victim pay a ransom.

    “Something” in this case is the files on your computer. Once it’s implemented into your system, ransomware starts encrypting all data on your computer, and the only way to get your files back is supposed to be paying a ransom to the intruders.

    While this scheme is usually used to attack those who are most likely to lose something truly valuable – like government officials, business executives, or celebrities, – everyone can fall victim to it.

    Surely, if you’re a student, you may only be risking losing your term paper, but it can be quite distressing, too. Just imagine having to write it all over again!

    To protect your data from ransomware, never forget about backups. You must have at least one on a reliable storage agent, but it’s better to have a few. There are your standard system backups, external devices, cloud storage – take advantage of them all.

    That said, it’s also essential to remember that some viruses can still make a perfect mess of your system unless you have sufficient protection. So, how long has it been since you’ve scanned your files?

    Keep Website Secure From Malware

    3. Hijacking Your Computer

    As if the risks of exposing or losing your data were not enough, there’s more that malware can do. It can literally hijack your computer so that you would lose control of it, partially or completely.

    First, there are rootkits that are commonly used for ad fraud as they can operate the way humans would, opening browsers and clicking on ads to gain profit for the attackers. These programs are particularly dangerous because they can gain full remote control of your system and thus remove the antivirus software which poses further risks to the system. 

    But there’s something even more threatening – bots. By themselves, bots are not malicious and are normally used to perform harmless routine operations. It is only when they are designed by criminals that they become truly dangerous.

    Criminals use bots to gain control of your computer and make the system run at their command. This allows them to create a network of remote computers called a botnet that’s powerful enough for a large-scale malicious attack. It can be a:

    • Ad-click fraud
    • Spam attack
    • DDoS attack

    What’s more, not only can your computer be hijacked, but your website can be, too, if you have one. Losing it – along with the domain name – is usually a significant problem, so it’s crucial to learn about the means to protect your data online in advance. While this information may seem difficult to digest, it’s still necessary if you care about your online safety and privacy. 

    4. Slowing Down Your System

    Every type of malware is harmful in its way, but there’s also something that they all have in common: slowing down your system.

    Surely, there are many other harmless programs that can do that too – antiviruses, for example. But all experts note that the sudden underperformance of your computer should always be a red flag. So, if you notice that your gear is not working as fast as it used to, the problem might be that it’s infected with malware.

    Conclusion

    There are many types of malicious programs that can still do damage to your system in 2021. And while some of the threats they pose can be easily eliminated by effective endpoint protection, others require more than that. 

    In these times of thriving social engineering tactics, it’s crucial to always be on alert. It also helps to learn about some technical aspects of cybersecurity, even if you’re far from being a tech geek. It may take time, but isn’t your data valuable enough, after all? Oftentimes, users lose data and assets because of their own carelessness, so don’t follow in their footsteps!

  • How to Turn Your Blog Into a Brand?

    How to Turn Your Blog Into a Brand?

    Do you know how many blogs there are on the internet?

    While the exact number is hard to determine, most stats point to about 500 million. That’s an insane number of blogging sites!

    With that number firmly lodged in your mind, you need to ask yourself, “How can I succeed when it’s such a crowded space?”

    The answer to that, my friend, lies in the power of branding.

    Branding has a few different meanings depending on who you ask and in what context. In the world of blogging, think of branding as giving your blog its own personality.

    Doing so helps differentiate your blog from the other half a billion other blogs out there.

    You’ll also help to increase your online recognition and authority – vital to your continued blogging success.

    If you want to level up your blog and stand out from the crowd, check out these five actionable tips below.  

    #1 Create a logo

    Think of your logo as your blog’s face. It’s unique to you, and just like meeting new people, you want to look your best when meeting face to face.

    Usually, it sits at the top of the page. But don’t forget, it’s also used elsewhere as well to help people identify your site.

    When people visit your blog for the first time, you want to make a great impression on them. A poorly designed or ugly logo will reflect badly on your blog. If you want to appear professional and trustworthy, you need a great-looking logo.

    Can you design the logo yourself? Unless you have years of experience as a graphic designer, it’s best to leave it to the professionals or use a dedicated service, and there are lots of options you can choose from:

    Hire a logo designer – you can hire a designer on freelance platforms like fiverr.com or look for an agency to help you create a logo

    Start a logo competition – logo design competitions let you submit your design brief to multiple designers simultaneously. At the end of the competition, you can view all their submissions and choose your favorite

    Design with a logo maker – logo makers are online logo design platforms many use AI to create logos based on your input. Of all logo design options logo makers are the cheapest option.

    #2 Develop your brand image

    Ever heard pop stars talk about their brand image?

    The music industry is super crowded. Bands and singers who want to get noticed and set themselves apart create a unique look that makes them stand out.

    But they also tailor that look so that it appeals to their target audience. Compare Taylor Swift to Metallica. They’re both hugely successful artists. But their branding is at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

    You can apply the same branding principles to your blog through:

    • The tone of voice – you may not realize it, but your blog has its own tone of voice. It’s just a reflection of how you write naturally, but it’s unique to you. Pay attention to the kind of tone your blog has. Is it professional, or is it laid back? Use a tone of voice that your audience responds to, and make sure you stick to it.
    • Color palette – Don’t use too many colors on our blog site. Instead, create your own brand color palette using 2-3 colors. Make sure it matches your tone of voice and is liked by your audience.
    • Font–style – People are reading your blog posts. Have you ever thought about the typography you’re using? Pick a font that matches your voice. Professional news websites use serif fonts like Times New Roman, whereas more casual blogs use sans-serif fonts like Calibri.
    • Imagery – If you’re not using images, you will not get the most out of your blog. Images help draw people in and keep them engaged. To help solidify your visual identity, stick to one type of image, whether it’s for your blog posts, your home page, even social media posts.


    #3 Be consistent with relevant content

    People are creatures of habit. Please don’t make them guess when your latest post will be.

    If they like to visit your blog post on Wednesday morning because they’re expecting a new post, don’t let them down! Create a blogging schedule and stick to it.

    You also need to create relevant content. In other words, content that your audience wants to read and find interesting. If you already know who your audience is, this isn’t a problem.

    But if you’re still trying to uncover who exactly is reading your blog, try using some of these methods:

    • Google Analytics – By connecting your website to Google Analytics, you can find out demographic information about your audience. Where they’re from, their age group, gender, and more. You can also see how people are arriving at your posts. Are they coming from social media? Search engines? Other blogs that are linking to you?
    • Use Comments – Allow readers to leave comments with their thoughts and own opinions. It’s a great way to find out more about your readers and increase your engagement levels.
    • Content Discovery Platforms – Content research platforms like Answer The Public you input topics, such as ‘woodworking’ to discover subtopics you can talk about in your blog posts


    #4 Build your social presence

    Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly users. So does YouTube. Instagram has over 1 billion, and TikTok is catching up with close to 700 million monthly users.

    The point I’m trying to make is that you can gain lots of new audience members by growing your social media presence.

    Growing your own community takes time, and it can be pretty tiring. Many social media users expect high levels of engagement. Like constant new posts and increased engagement with the community.

    Using social media tools to set up automatic posting and alerts can do wonders for your efforts.

    Just don’t fall into the trap of trying to use every social media platform there is. Stick to the ones your audience is using. LinkedIn, for example, is excellent for B2B businesses, whereas Facebook is much more social orientated.


    #5 Leverage email marketing

    Another channel you can use to level up your branding is email marketing. This doesn’t mean you need to bombard people with sales emails trying to sell them stuff. In fact, that type of email marketing is a sure way to get people to unsubscribe and blacklist you.

    Instead, leverage your email marketing to help build your brand by engaging with people. Use it to keep them up to date with your blogging activities, ask for feedback, and send email-only tips and advice not available on your blog site.

    Just like your actual blogs, make sure your emails are relevant and sent consistently.

    If you have your logo and color pallet set up, incorporate them into your email design to help your branding even more.  

    Summary

    Turning your average blog into a brand loved by its audience won’t happen overnight. But with the actionable items on this page, you can start the transformation today. Keep working hard, posting consistent and relevant content, learning everything you can about your audience, and developing your blog into a killer brand that stands out from the 500 million over blogging sites!

  • UC PIQ Writing Mistakes You Need to Avoid

    UC PIQ Writing Mistakes You Need to Avoid

    The University of California (UC) schools are amongst the best public university systems in the country. Several of their elite colleges have the prestige and diversity to rival even the top private universities. Part of the admission process includes writing 4 essays based on 8 prompts called personal insight questions (PIQ), and each response cannot exceed 350 words. If you want to really impress the admissions officers, make sure you avoid these common mistakes when writing your PIQs.

    Don’t Use Generalities

    When answering the PIQs, it’s important to make them personal. Don’t speak in generalities, as they want to get to know who you are as a person and your skills, accomplishments, and potential to succeed. Make sure to use statements with “I” and “my” while writing. This will help focus your answers on your own experiences and express to the colleges why they should accept you as a student.

    Avoid Repetition

    Since you’ll be answering 4 PIQs, you need to make sure that the information you provide in each of them is unique. Choose prompts that will allow you to do this, as you don’t want to keep saying the same things about yourself. For example, the PIQs 2021 choices include questions about your greatest talent and your creative endeavors. If you write about how painting is your greatest talent, don’t choose another question where you talk about your experiences as a painter.

    Stay Away from Philosophical Contemplation

    Having to reflect upon your character and personality, as well as considering your future can lead you to contemplate these things in philosophical terms. However, try not to do this, since they are looking for facts in order to judge your capabilities as a person, rather than your inner thoughts and feelings. Make sure you get to the point of what you’re trying to say in each answer since you have a very limited amount of space to do so.

    Don’t Complain About your Hardships

    It’s easy to fall into the trap of writing too much about all the difficulties you’ve overcome in your life. You can include these things but focus more on how you’ve grown as a person instead of elaborating on how tough it has been for you. The purpose of college is to learn and build your foundation for the future, so dwelling too much on the hardships of your past can make you seem like someone who would rather complain about a problem than solve them and move forward.

    Using Humor is a Bad Idea

    Trying to inject some humor into your writing is often a way to express your personality, but it’s best not to do that with the PIQs. Since the questions ask about things like your talents, leadership skills, or community activism, they expect a serious answer. These aren’t the place for funny comments or silly anecdotes. Keep your essays on point and avoid inappropriate uses of humor.

    Avoid Creative Writing

    There’s no reason to write a poem or speculative tale for the PIQs. You can speak about your talents as a creative writer, but don’t give them any examples of your work. These should be fact-based answers, so anything that doesn’t directly support the message you’re trying to get across doesn’t belong there. You’re not telling a story, you’re informing the admissions offers about why they should choose you for their school.

    Never Use Quotations

    Since the purpose of the PIQs is to hear about you in your own words, they don’t want to hear anything from another person. Stay away from adding quotations as a way to support your answers. They will take up space that would be better served writing something from your own point of view. If you feel like you absolutely need the schools to be aware of something someone else has said regarding you or your activities, save it for the Common Application and/or Supplemental Essays.

    Don’t Pick a Prompt Because it’s Easy

    It can be tempting to choose a PIQ that sounds easy to answer, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you go that route. They are looking for information that best describes who you are as a person and what you can do, so it’s a better idea to pick a prompt that will allow you to display your best qualities.

    Applying for college and completing all the necessary steps to get in is a lengthy and difficult process. Your future could be riding on whether you get accepted or not. When you’re writing your PIQs to get into a UC school, remember these tips on what mistakes you need to avoid to have the best essays possible.

  • How The IoT Can Improve Customer Service?

    How The IoT Can Improve Customer Service?

    IoT devices are the perfect blend between technology and gadgetry. IoT or the Internet of Things refers to a network of smart devices communicating with each other. These could consist of things like temperature, heat, or moisture sensors, cameras, thermostats, smart switches, lights, doorbells, and so much more. Thanks to IoT, the concept of a smart home is now very much in the domain of reality. In fact, many people expect IoT to take off and penetrate US household markets in the same way as Spectrum mobile plans. But IoT applications extend beyond residential use, into many aspects of the business world. This blog explores how IoT can potentially improve customer service in a business.

    Using IoT in Customer Service

    IoT devices are smart devices that gather information and communicate with each other. The right information, when gathered through an IoT device and analyzed properly, can often offer useful insights and identify areas for improvement. In terms of customer service and the larger customer experience that businesses offer, IoT devices can be a very crucial tool.

    Remember, in the 21st Century, customer service and customer experience are key differentiating factors between you and your competitors. It is very easy and very common for customers to take their business to your competition if they are offered a better experience there. Therefore, by improving CS and CX, you are building a stronger competitive advantage. And IoT can help in several ways, including:

    Observe and Improve the Product or Service Experience You Offer

    The biggest advantage of an IoT network should come from its ability to gather data on how your customers experience your product or service. Customers typically have specific uses for products or services, but there can often be expectations that you may not be meeting. It may be even more dangerous when competing products or services are meeting those expectations.

    IoT devices can gather and log information like product failure, service issues, warranty claims, product defects, and much more. All of this data can help you build an understanding of how consumers perceive and experience your offerings. With this, you can begin to identify areas that you can improve to offer exceptional customer service.

    Improve Your Ability To Deliver a Personalized Experience

    Personalized experiences are one of the best ways to create happy, satisfied, and long-lasting customers. Both customer acquisition and retention rely heavily on the customer experience you offer, and personalizing each interaction for an individual customer can go a long way. But with digital commerce and online shopping, it is often very difficult to personalize experiences for every customer.

    However, an IoT network could potentially automate some bits of the personalization process and make it easier for human agents to deal with customers. For example, IoT devices may be able to identify not just specific customers, but also specific problems they might be having. This won’t just impress customers, but also save time in solving their problems.  

    Identify Areas To Improve Your Product or Service

    IoT devices in the future will probably not be limited to gathering customer experience information. They will most likely also include gathering product or service data as well, such as the problems consumers encounter when using them. This data can be invaluable to businesses in terms of product/service development. Businesses can analyze it, identify product weaknesses and flaws, and fix them in future iterations. This means a continuous process of improvement, which helps products and services stay relevant for longer. 

    Discover New Opportunities for Related Products

    The information from using IoT in customer service can also help businesses identify new business opportunities and markets. In many cases, especially in the tech industry, these new opportunities are often closely related to your existing product or service. Customers will often ask for features or options that may not always be possible to include in your primary offering. But you can always create a related product or service that offers the things that your customers need. Otherwise, someone else could step in to meet that demand, and you could miss out on an opportunity that you may otherwise be well placed to take advantage of.

  • What You Can Do to De-Stress Before a Big Interview?

    What You Can Do to De-Stress Before a Big Interview?

    Interviews are famously unpleasant. When examining what occasions people feel the most anxiety about beforehand, interviews of any kind usually rank pretty high. It doesn’t take a lot of research to figure out why this is; interviews are a singular event that have a lot of pressure surrounding them, it always feels like you have to get them 100% right in one go. While little can be done, outside of thorough practice and research, to prepare yourself any more for an interview than you have already, there are things you can do to quell your nerves beforehand.

    Attitude is important; this is true in a great many aspects of life. Unsurprisingly it applies here as well, as having a positive and relaxed attitude when entering an interview will be noticeable to your interviewers and will thus reflect positively on you. Therefore, it makes sense that you would be on the lookout for anything you can to put this change into motion. Thankfully, there are several techniques you can adopt, so you have plenty of options in how you approach this.

    Take Your Mind Off of Things

    The stress leading up to a big event such as an interview is sometimes exactly what it appears to be and little more – short-term stress. In this case, you might just want something to distract you while you wait, something to stave off the nerves. Old solutions sometimes work the best, and luckily you live in an age where your smartphone is often right by your side. Social media feeds work well here, as do games if you’re looking for a distraction. Outlets such as Spin Casino offer online slots Canada-based, as well as other games that you might find to your liking.

    Start by Practicing Some Breathing Techniques

    Breathing techniques are a well-known method of reducing stress and inducing long-term relaxation, especially if practiced regularly and integrated into your routine. It doesn’t take much to start either; there are several places online you can look to learn more about breathing techniques, including how you can fit them into any situation and how they benefit you. While you can start doing these regularly to lower your general stress, their ease of use and access means that you’ll be able to utilize breathing techniques in any situation – including while waiting for your interview to begin.

    If stress is something you’re struggling with in the long-term and you’re finding that the long-term benefits of breathing techniques sound rather appealing, you might be looking for other solutions of a similar nature. If this is the case, yoga could be something that you’d be interested in taking up. Not only does including this in your daily or weekly routine give you regular exercise, but it’s also something that’s been found to increase your overall sense of calm and relaxation. Combating general anxiety puts you in a good position for whenever you begin to approach stressful situations throughout your life.

    The distraction you choose should be based on whatever helps you relax and get into the best mentality possible before the interview.

  • How To Expand Your Network Outside Of Your Industry?

    How To Expand Your Network Outside Of Your Industry?

    Networking is a very important skill in business but a lot of business owners limit themselves when making connections. Although networking can be a good way to generate leads, it’s also a brilliant way to make partnerships with other businesses, connect with potential mentors, and find out what other rival companies are planning. If you want to get the most out of networking, it’s important that you are able to connect with people outside of your own industry. When you work with business people in different industries, you get a fresh perspective and open up new opportunities that you otherwise wouldn’t have had. These are some of the best ways to start networking outside of your industry. 

    Take Stock Of Existing Connections

    Before you start trying to network with different people, you should take stock of your existing connections and see whether there is anybody that is outside of your normal circle. These are the people you should focus on because you can use them to expand your network. Their network will be filled with the kinds of people you are looking to connect with, so call them up and ask if there is anybody they think you should meet with. You’ll be surprised how many new connections you can make this way. 

    Get Involved With Charities

    There are a lot of great reasons for business owners to get involved with charities but people often overlook the networking benefits. There’s a reason why networking experts like Haval Dosky do a lot of charity work. If you start working with a big charity, it’s likely that other business leaders will be involved with their efforts too. This is a brilliant way to do something positive with your business and meet a wide variety of business contacts at the same time. 

    Change Your Business Event Schedule

    Hopefully, you are already attending business events to promote your company and network with people, but the likelihood is, you are attending events that are directly related to your own industry. That is beneficial, of course, but you should consider changing your event schedule up a bit. Instead of sticking to the same events each year, think about where the gaps in your network are and use that to guide your event schedule. 

    Be Patient

    You need to be patient when trying to expand your network outside of your industry because it will take a lot longer for you to see any kind of return. If you work in finance and you connect with somebody else in that industry, it’s likely that you will work together in the near future. But if you network with somebody that works in IT, you might not see how that helps. However, if you are considering investing in a new tech startup but you need some advice about its viability, that IT expert will probably be able to help. So, be patient and keep building your network because it will pay off. 

    Most people don’t think to expand their network outside of their industry but it has a lot of great benefits.