Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Smartphones are a helpful tool by any measure. Still, with these devices' widespread use, serious concerns about how they may contribute to certain negative human situations have arisen. Here are some ways smartphones can be seen as having a negative effect on people and society. 

Many states’ stay-at-home orders that are/were designed to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus are now lapsing all over the U.S. As a result, business owners are re-opening their doors to a great deal of uncertainty. We have put together this guide to help the business owner understand that, even though you’ve finally been given the go-ahead, you have a responsibility to keep your staff and customers safe.

Some industries have specific standards that must be met regarding data security and privacy. For healthcare and its related industries, you have HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects the privacy of patient records and requires that organizations maintain them in a specific fashion. To make this a bit easier is HITRUST, the Health Information Trust Alliance. How are these two intertwined and how do they make the privacy regulations in the United States easier to understand?

Traditionally, when you talk about employee health, issues come up about health insurance and workplace safety. With the COVID-19 pandemic six months old, new considerations have to be made. The pandemic has caused many businesses to reassess the way they go about doing things to ensure that their workforces aren’t exposed to the virus, and that employees can handle their jobs with the pressures brought forth by the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Today, we’ll review some of the considerations business owners have to make to keep their workforces safe. 

In light of the coronavirus outbreak that swiftly swept across the globe, there have been efforts made by many telecommunications companies to make life easier for their customers. These customers are likely holed up at home, working remotely if possible. One way or another, they are going to want Internet access, and in a show of solidarity, numerous ISPs and cell carriers are delivering.

Healthcare organizations are a hot topic when it comes to cybersecurity, as even a small data breach could turn into a goldmine for hackers. Recently, IBM’s 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index has reported a data breach that exposed more than 10 million medical records, which shows us just how scary a breach of this kind can be. The secret weapon, in many cases, is a threat called ransomware.

Believe it or not, there are horror stories told of innocent people being abandoned by 911 dispatchers when they need help the most. This mainly isn’t due to incompetence on the dispatchers’ part, but because there are malicious forces that aren’t taken into consideration. Often, victims of 911 mishaps are misled by the odd hacker.

How do you feel while you’re reading this article? Are you straining your eyes just to see the screen? Does your back feel like it has a knot in it? Is carpal tunnel destroying the nerves in your wrist? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s probably time to look into switching up your workstation.

We've got yet another major data breach to report that affects millions of users, this one of a very personal nature. This week, it was revealed that Chinese hackers compromised 4.5 million medical records from Community Health Systems, a hospital network with 206 facilities in the United States. Ask your doctor today if identity theft prevention is right for you.