June - 2015
     TOBIN NEWSLETTER

MALWARE ATTACKS GIVE CRIMINALS 1,425% ROI 

The article "Malware attacks give criminals 1,425% return on investment" from Help Net Security reveals interesting information on Trustwave's report on 2014 top cybercrime, data breach and security threat trends.

 

Trustwave's report found that:

  • Website threats and ransomware gave a whopping $84,100 net revenue to attackers for each $5,900 investment
  • It took Trustwave's security an estimated 1 day to crack 8-character passwords and 591 days to crack a 10-character password - "Password1" is the most common password
  • Weak application security was found - 98% of applications tested had at least one vulnerability
  • Most victims are in the United States - Retail, food and beverage and hospitality are the most targeted industries
  • 81% of victims did not detect breaches themselves
  • Attackers find weak remote access security and passwords to break in - This contributed to 94% of credit card breaches
You can read the full article here.  The harsh reality is that we should expect more since this is a business - Hackers are making more money doing this, not less.  Security audits are always a great way to ensure you do not have any security holes in your system.  Please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule or ask questions!

TOBIN'S TOP 5 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS

There are many social media platforms businesses can use today, and a majority are completely free! At Tobin, we use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.  It's of course easy to sign up and say you have Facebook or Twitter, but how do you maintain these platforms?  Read some of our tips below!

  1. You must first create a plan! What is your ultimate goal?  What do you want to get out of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.?  Are you going to post hourly, daily, or weekly?  Here is a helpful article from Buffer on creating a social media marketing plan.
  2. Sharing is caring! Share company news, events, interviews, blogs and more with your followers!
  3. Do you forget to share?  If the answer is yes, think about utilizing a content manager like Buffer or Hootsuite.  These tools help you schedule content across multiple social networks easily and consistently!
  4. Engage and listen! Make sure you thank new followers and follow them back.  You can occasionally post a "thank you" to all followers, too.  Secondly, make it a priority to reply to people who take the time to post on your page.  Thirdly, comment on others' social media posts.  You can use some of your expertise when doing so! Lastly, make a call to action.  This can be asking followers to share their opinion on your post or share your "contest" post.  Remember, it's all about engagement and the establishment of relationships.
  5. Include your social media handles on all marketing materials.  Whether it's your website, business cards or brochures, let people know about them!

DOES YOUR BUSINESS HAVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

Competitive advantage is, in your customers' minds, what makes your business different from the business of your competition.  This is something that needs to be clearly stated and communicated to your customers.  So, how do you distinguish your business from others in your market?

 

First and foremost, you'll want to focus on the customer.  Who's your target market and do you understand their needs?  Does your service or product satisfy their needs?  What problem are you trying to fix for them?  What about customer service?  Start by answering these questions, then ensure the information is clearly stated on your website and marketing materials.  You can then start sending E-mails catering to your target markets' specific needs.  Actively work on customer service with your team by implementing short training sessions on a quarterly basis, or E-mailing short articles on customer service and satisfaction.  Ultimately, a satisfied customer EQUALS repeat business.

 

Information technology plays a key role in competitive advantage! Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a good example as it can improve the process of understanding and delivering to your customers.  It can establish and help with target segmentation, market needs, leads, won opportunities, etc.  Another good example is automation.  Automation of labor-intensive business processes and services can result in lower costs.  Use automation for E-mail alerts, automatic updates, client account management, document management and overall workflow.

Tobin Solutions, Inc
414-443-9999
[email protected]
http://www.tobinsolutions.com

Since 1996 Tobin Solutions has provided a complete range of information technology solutions and support options to small business customers.  We service a wide range of industries including legal, insurance, health, accounting, manufacturing, non-profits, and many other closely held companies.

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