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Contact Us
Foundation Insurance Group
803 West Broad Street
Suite 500
Falls Church, VA 22046
703-988-3750 (phone)
800-203-2811 (toll free)
www.foundationinsurancegroup.com
info@figva.com
For more business tips and insurance info, visit our complete BtoB Advantage archives
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The End of Passwords
Passwords are a problem. If they're effective from a security perspective - that is, long, complex, and frequently changed - then they're hard or impossible to remember. And when they're simple and easy to remember, like the "123456" password used for two million Adobe customer accounts that were hacked in 2013...you get the point.
So it's no surprise that everyone gets excited by the promise of "the end of passwords" (you're reading this article, after all). And in the last year we've had plenty to get excited about. iPhones unlock with a fingerprint.
- The Nymi bracelet recognizes the wearer's pulse rhythm and automatically provides login information by proximity.
- Google has the YubiKey Neo, which you plug into a USB port before you can access your accounts.
- Meanwhile, researchers are looking into wild new technologies, like a brainwave-reader that could replace passwords with "passthoughts" such as imagining signing a song, or counting objects.
With this dizzying array of alternatives, have we finally reached the "end of passwords"? Not quite. Forbes has noted that, considering an iPhone can be tricked with a photocopy of a fingerprint, biometrics only go so far, and are most effective when combined with another system like - yes - a password. Google's YubiKey Neo requires a username and PIN for a second line of defense - although, thanks to the physical key, having a single username and PIN for multiple accounts becomes exponentially safer. Unfortunately, protecting your business doesn't mean getting rid of passwords just yet. But new technologies are making passwords safer, and creating a stronger system of defense - one that, of course, should also include cybersecurity insurance. Talk to us about making sure you're covered, with the policy that goes best with your pulse-bracelet, fingerprint, telepathy, and - of course - password. |
Putting the Kibosh on Lost or Stolen Phones Once and For All
Do you love your phone? Do you need your phone? I know I do. I can't remember how I functioned before I had Wikipedia and a dictionary in my pocket. If you feel the same, you've undoubtedly experienced, at least once, a moment of panic when you couldn't find your phone. For your sake, I hope that's all it was - a moment - and that you've never had to deal with the major hassle of recovering a stolen phone, or just losing one permanently.
Apple began building a kill switch into their products in September of 2013, a year when over 3 million smartphones were stolen in the US. One year later, iPhone theft was down 19% in New York, 24% in London, and a truly impressive 38% in San Francisco. Some brave types have even hunted down their stolen phones on their own, using the tracking apps. Taking a couple of minutes to set up one of these apps can save you a boatload of trouble later on. Here's our pick of the litter.
- Android (any smartphones and tablets not made by Apple) - As long as you've got a Google account set up on your phone, and the phone is on and connected to the internet, Android Device Manager will take care of you. You don't even need to download it; it already lives in your phone. In the Google Settings app, allow ADM to locate your phone (this will already be turned on unless you've messed with it before), and allow it to lock your phone and erase data (this won't already be on).
To find your phone once it's lost, you can access ADM on a computer or someone else's phone, and pinpoint the position of your wandering device. If you know it's nearby, you can set it to ring at full volume for 5 minutes while you search for it. If it's farther away than under the bed, you can send a recovery text message to the person who may have found your phone ("Dude...give it back or I will make you rue the day you were born" would work well). And if you're concerned about theft and/or protecting sensitive information, you can also lock it to prevent any unauthorized access, and as a last resort, completely erase your data.
If your Android goes missing before you get the chance to configure the Device Manager, don't fret. Plan B can be found in the Google Play store, and installed remotely via your Gmail address. Once set up, Plan B emails you every ten minutes with your phone's whereabouts. You may need to use someone else's cell to text "locate" to your phone, which will email you with its current location. There are a number of other (paid) apps that perform similar functions, but unless you're seriously worried about security, the free one will do the trick.
- iOS (anything made by Apple) - iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, MacBooks) - No installation required here, either. Find My iPhone is already on your phone, iPad, or iPod. Just launch the Settings app, log into iCloud, and turn on Find My iPhone. (If you're using it to find your MacBook, iCloud lives in System Preferences.)
FMi has the same features and limitations as ADM - the device must be turned on and connected to the internet for it to function. You can access it remotely from another computer or phone and make it ring, lock, erase data, or send a recovery message.
I admit I may have had a little too much fun doing the research for this article. When my boss walked in on me hiding behind a door and yelling "Marco!" she was kind enough to await an explanation ("It's an app for finding a lost phone") rather than just sending me to the funny farm. I didn't have much luck with the $0.99 Marco Polo app - turns out you have to leave it running at all times in order for it to work - but the concept (you call out "Marco," and the phone that fell behind a desk or slid between two couch cushions responds "Polo" [or "Yes, master," or "Over here"]) is a nifty one.
Find My iPhone, on the other hand, took just a moment to set up, another moment to access online, and with one click, my phone was chiming loudly enough to be heard from a few rooms away (or under the bed or behind the toilet). Piece of cake. Set aside a few minutes of your busy day to find the app that works for you, turn that thing on, and hope that you never need it.
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 Five Steps for Better Benefits Communication
If you provide employee benefits, they may be a major part of recruitment and retention - but it can be tough to put your mouth where your money is. That's what a joint study by the National Business Coalition on Health and consultants Benz Communications found. The vast majority of businesses, says the study, aren't doing what's needed to ensure successful open enrollment, and get employees and their families engaged and feeling well taken care of.
The survey-takers highly recommend businesses create a clear, concrete plan to improve benefits communication. Here are the tried and true steps you can take.
1.) Communicate and Communicate: Most employers only send out benefits information once a year - around enrollment time. That's not enough to keep employees aware of the ins and outs of their benefits, planning ahead, and actively engaging in programs that could drive down their premiums. It's more work, but worth it to send out fresh information and reminders on a regular basis.
2.) And #Communicate: Social media is too good a resource to pass up. It's not just for the #youths anymore: the majority of Facebook and Twitter users are over thirty years old, and more than 15 percent are over fifty. These platforms are an effective, simple way to reach your employees with reminders and new information. And they're a good way to consolidate all of your benefits information in one easy-to-find place - one that's also accessible to employees' families and job seekers.
3.) Target Specific Groups: No one wants a barrage of irrelevant information. If young workers receive a lot of information about retirement, and workers without spouses or children receive a lot of information about family benefits, they'll get in the habit of just ignoring your benefits communications. By tailoring your communications to different subsets of employees, that information won't just fall on deaf ears.
4.) Don't Reinvent the Wheel: The web is full of free tools, information, and other resources to help you better communicate with employees about benefits - and Benz Communications (half of that survey-taking duo) have compiled them here.
5.) Talk to Us: We're here to help manage and clarify your benefits, so you can do the same for your employees. Just like you, we want your employees taken care of, and to take full advantage of their benefits.
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All content © 2014 Professional Marketing Associates, Inc. This newsletter is not intended to provide specific legal or insurance advice. Please consult your individual agent for further information on the topics covered.
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