Soon Apple Will Add App Tracking Information To iOS

Recently, Apple announced two important new improvements to the way the company handles and tracks user data.

That includes data used by third-party apps downloaded and installed from the Apple App Store.

According to the company’s statement, both changes would be available by late spring of this year (2021).

The first of these is an easy-to-understand report entitled “A Day in the Life of your Data,” which is meant to serve as an illustrative guide explaining how companies track user data across websites and apps. The idea behind the report is that by giving users a better and more comprehensive understanding of the kinds of data companies are most interested in and how they make use of it, consumers will be in a much better position to make informed decisions about if or whether to share personally identifiable data in the first place.

Even more significantly than the report though, is the company’s new App Tracking Transparency feature that will require apps to request permission from users before tracking them across other apps and websites. The new tool will also give users a bird’s eye view of exactly which apps have requested permission to track so they can make changes to those settings as they see fit.

The changes, while excellent in theory, have also raised some hackles. Facebook, to name one example, bristled at the notion that Apple would dare even attempt to block the ubiquitous app’s ability to track Apple users across the web. There appears to be little that Facebook can do about it, but the social media giant has certainly made their displeasure known where the newly planned feature is concerned.

Privacy advocates see this as a huge step forward and a major win for the end user. Naturally, companies that make a mint by tracking and selling user data are less than thrilled about it. For far too long, they’ve had a free hand and it’s well past time to rein them in. Kudos to Apple for the coming changes.

A Few Ways Workflow Automation Can Improve your Business

While a lot of the focus on any business’ use of technology may be on its front-facing solutions, there’s a lot to be said about the technology solutions that power these businesses behind the scenes. Let’s consider a few ways that businesses are benefiting from automating some of these background processes.

Inventory

As anyone who has had to handle it could tell you, handling a business’ inventory is a major pain. However, solutions now exist that—by automating these processes—help to effectively eliminate it from someone’s to-do list.

While this benefit is particularly relevant to retail outlets and other businesses that deal with direct sales, there are benefits to be had for any business whose operations require supplies of some sort. Just consider how much paper many businesses still go through throughout their operations, and how much time goes into ensuring that there is enough on hand for these operations to continue. Now consider that these procedures could be easily carried out with minimal involvement from your employees, both saving time and reducing the risk of user error.

Human Resources

The HR department carries a ton of responsibility, so it only makes sense to do everything possible to simplify these processes. Automation makes this far more feasible by taking much of the typical workload off your HR resource’s plate.

Seeing as very few people actively enjoy paperwork, providing a means to attend to most of it with little effort will be a change that your HR department is sure to appreciate. After all, this allows them to leave their desk more often and spend more time with the employees they act as your representative between… ultimately adding to the company’s incoming cash flow.

Workflow Automation

Finally, we must address the complexity of your processes—or, more specifically, the potential hang-ups and oversights that could occur within them and throw your operations off schedule. Whether you are trying to ensure that information is properly filed away, that the right status updates are getting to the people who need them, and that everything is shipshape to securely fulfill your clients’ expectations, automation can prove to be an asset with visible benefits.

Fortunately, there are solutions available that can see to all of these needs and can be easily implemented. Our team of IT experts can help you adopt the strategies that will ensure your business is the well-oiled machine your clients and customers want it to be. Give us a call at 216-503-5150 to learn more about how we can be of assistance.

Improve Internet Security with These Easy Tips

With over four billion internet users around the globe totaling roughly 59% of the population, the internet is rife with opportunities for hackers to steal users’ information. And with technology constantly evolving and the internet growing, it’s not likely to get safer anytime soon. That’s why it pays to take extra precautions when surfing the web. We’ve compiled these three easy tips that can amp up your online security.

Tip 1: Use HTTPS

Short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, HTTPS indicates that a website has an extra layer of security for its users. This layer encrypts data exchanged between a user’s browser and the web server that delivers the data requested by the user. To use a simpler comparison, imagine someone tapping your landline, but instead of getting to listen in on your conversations, they’ll hear people speaking in tongues instead.

In August 2014, Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser, announced that having HTTPS makes your website rank higher in its search algorithm. And since October 2017, the browser began flagging non-HTTPS websites as not secure whenever users try to fill out something as simple as a contact form on it. In July 2018, Chrome started showing a “not secure” warning on any website that does not implement HTTPS, whether or not users are filling out a form there.

Because of Google’s measures, the security protocol has been widely adopted. Even if your website does not contain or ask for sensitive information, implementing HTTPS engenders trust and a sense of security among internet users, while remaining on HTTP will make web visitors abandon or avoid you sooner or later.

Tip 2: Embrace multifactor authentication (MFA)

Since account credentials can be easily stolen via phishing attacks, username and password combos are no longer enough to keep bad actors at bay. To ensure that the one accessing an account is truly that account’s owner, additional identity authentication steps must be implemented.

These steps can involve the use of the account holder’s device — the one logging in must first verify their phone number, receive a one-time password on their smartphone, then enter that code in the access portal before the code’s validity lapses. Alternatively, MFA may ask for a face, retina, voice, or fingerprint scan for authentication.

MFA can be a bit of a hassle for your internal and external users, but a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for immensely effective cybersecurity.

Tip 3: Update browsers and devices

Did you know that dated versions of browsers, operating systems, and even other software packages can create an easy entry point for hackers? Often, new updates are created specifically to fix security holes. However, people tend to procrastinate and leave applying updates for another day. Hackers take advantage of this by searching for outdated devices to infiltrate while their victims watch YouTube on last year’s version of Firefox.

Yes, installing an update might take 15 minutes of your time, but this time investment can pay dividends in terms of preventing a security breach that could cost you or your business thousands.

Looking for more tips to boost your internet security? Get in touch to find out how we can help.

Is Your Business Ready to Return to “Normal”?

The rollout of vaccinations has brought many businesses the hope of returning to normalcy, to a time before COVID-19 was the driving factor in how they ran their business. However, the reality is, most companies will not be returning to pre-coronavirus operations; the “new” normal is just the norm now. Your team and customers have adapted to the way things are done now, not the way they were done before.

COVID-19 Vaccinations are Being Dispensed

As 2021 starts, the new year brings with it promises of a respite from the coronavirus crisis, which has incontrovertibly changed how the majority of us live our lives. While it is still early days, the vaccinations bring with them the hope for a return to normal, not just in our personal lives, but professionally as well.

If you’re a business owner who had to spend nearly a year adapting to (what was for many organizations) a staggering amount of change, you aren’t alone. As vaccinations roll out, it is understandable to hope that things will return to the way they were.

Here’s the thing—it might be better to not return to normal, in a sense.

We’re not talking about social distancing and keeping tables six feet apart at restaurants. We’re talking about the skills and adjustments we had to take on in order to continue to get through this entire ordeal.

Don’t look at it like going back to normal, look at it as another change: an evolution to your business.

Your Business Will Need to Evolve, Again

To thrive throughout COVID-19, many businesses had to completely change how they operated, particularly in response to social distancing requirements. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that many companies do not have the resources available to return to business as usual, even if it was possible to do so.

Not to be discounted is that your customers and your team may not want to return to the ways things were, even if they could. Let’s be honest; there is something to be said about working from the comfort of one’s own home and having purchases delivered to your front door.

The truth is, if your business managed to not only remain open but even thrive during these challenging times, why would you want to break what’s working? There is a wealth of benefits derived from having a remote workforce and continuing to expand upon your investment in your online presence. These benefits won’t disappear thanks to the vaccine.

The reality is it will be many months before enough people have been vaccinated to allow for significant changes to social distancing and mask requirements. For the foreseeable future, most businesses will still need to maintain their practices to fight the spread of COVID-19. However, it doesn’t mean these businesses shouldn’t begin to plan for the future, because ready or not, there are changes on the horizon.

Develop a Post-Vaccination Plan For Your Business

With so many changes coming, it is understandable that your team and customers may be unsure of what your business is planning on doing. One of the biggest pitfalls a company can face is a failure to manage expectations. By allowing your customers and team to assume you’re going to take one course of action, you set your business up for failure if what is expected doesn’t happen. There is a difference between having to modify your plans due to changes in the environment and not having a plan at all.

Let Your Customers Know What Your Plans Are
With face-to-face interactions still limited for the foreseeable future, it will be challenging to share the type of information your customers will need to determine if your business will be a good fit for their needs. Traditional methods such as word of mouth are significantly reduced due to social distancing. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way: social media can fill the gap created by a lack of face-to-face interactions.

When you put the social into social media, you increase opportunities to connect with and communicate with your clients, existing and new. Social media is currently the most effective method to communicate today, and thanks to social distancing, its value has only increased.

Remote Work is Not Going Anywhere 
If your business has thrived for these many months with a good portion of your team working remotely, it’s going to be challenging to make the case against continuing it, and why should you? If you managed to support a remote workforce during COVID-19, you know what works; why disrupt what’s working?

If you’re like most businesses, you have found substantial savings by transitioning to a remote workforce. Most likely, you have seen a reduction in office expenses. If you consider the cost of maintaining your office environment, heating, and cooling, lights and water, endless pots of coffee; you can see how having a remote workforce made a difference to your bottom line.

For growing businesses, offering remote or semi-remote options might be a good perk that attracts more talented employees. For some businesses that struggle to find local talent, it also widens your range.

Continue to be Flexible
As a small to medium-sized business, you may not have access to the same resources as a larger enterprise organization. However, you can still be competitive, even during trying times. It’s fair to say that if you learned anything running your business during a pandemic, it is how to think on your feet and adapt to a changing landscape. New challenges are coming, and once again, you will need to rise to the occasion.

Let Net Activity Help You Plan for the Future

When the pandemic first struck, most businesses had no choice but to do whatever they needed to survive. Developing a plan was secondary to keeping your business open; however, as the landscape changes again, now is the time to make a plan.

We can help you adapt to the new, new normal. 

Give us a call at 216-503-5150 and ask how we can help your business continue to operate safely, securely, and effectively.