Author: centexitguy Page 38 of 140

Ways To Verify Data Breaches

On June 18, 2020

A data breach is an incident where a hacker gains access to a database that contains the user’s personal details such as login information, financial details, Social Security Number, address, PHI, etc. In the case of an organization, a data breach can result in revealing of trade secrets and other critical business information. Once stolen, this information is then sold on the dark web to cyber criminals who use it for their profit.

The damage caused by a data breach can be minimized if it is detected in time. Here are some ways to verify a data breach:

Online Tools: A number of online tools are available to help users in verifying if their email account has been breached. Another way of verifying a data breach is via a data breach database. A data breach database such as HIBP (created by Troy Hunt, a Microsoft regional director, and MVP) contains a list of compromised email accounts and passwords. Users can search these databases for their email to see if their email and password are among the compromised lists.
Updated Browsers: Using an updated browser that has special features can help users in knowing if their password has been compromised. Browsers such as Chrome 79 include ‘Password Checkup Feature’. When a user enters a password, the feature warns the user if the password has been compromised without the need of saving the password.
Unauthorized Activity: Regularly check your accounts for any unauthorized activity in your account. Keep an eye on your sent emails. If you notice any emails sent to anonymous accounts, this indicates that your email account has been hacked. In case of any social media account, make a note of any unusual posts, messages, etc. Any unauthorized activity indicates a data breach including username and password.

Whilst these methods may be helpful, there is no bulletproof method of verifying a data breach. An ideal way of approach is to employ stringent data protection strategies. Some of the most efficient personal data protection strategies include access controls on the network, use of automated backup system, equip the data storage center with a protective suit, robust monitoring & reporting, and use of a secure password.

For more information on ways to verify data breaches, contact Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

Role Of AI To Improve IT Service Management

By centexitguy

On May 29, 2020

In IT Support

COVID-19 has increased the workload for IT Service Management (ITSM) teams. The sudden increase in incident queues is partly because of first-time work-from-home employees trying to securely log in and partly contributed by the overcrowding of IT systems as they were not designed to handle high volumes. Organizations are in dire need to improve ITSM in order to resolve the incidents timely and ensure uninterrupted operations.

AI can help businesses in effectively improving ITSM by streamlining the incident resolution process.

Incident Deflection: A major part of incident queues is occupied by connectivity and security login issues. AI can be used to analyze an incoming issue and offer related help files and step-by-step videos. The users can get assistance from these resources to handle common issues themselves, thus reducing the number of tickets. It will also improve customer satisfaction by equipping users with relevant knowledge to tackle such issues in the future.

Efficient Allotment: If an issue cannot be handled by incident deflection, AI can help in efficient allotment of the incident ticket. AI algorithms can be trained to interpret the nature of an IT request and an accurate category of data included in the ticket. Further, it can match the information with the strengths and capabilities of available agents. This will facilitate in reducing the resolution time of incoming requests. This approach will also help in reducing errors in resolving tickets as the requests are handled by agents equipped with the relevant skill set.

Accuracy: In order to ensure efficient resolution of an IT ticket, it is imperative to acquire complete and accurate data. The users are required to provide thorough information. However, many users may not be aware of the information they need to provide, where they can find it or what is the meaning of a technical term referred by an agent. AI can be used to point the users in the right direction by suggesting a service catalog form that collects all the necessary information for submitting a complete ticket. This will help in avoiding the back and forth juggling of the ticket between the agent and the user, leading to the early resolution of the issue.

Being Proactive: AI can recognize any patterns within incidents. It can identify/prevent SLA breaches and equip decision-makers with the information required for making necessary changes to ITSM strategies. This will allow the ITSM teams to be proactive and handle incident queues aptly.

For more information on role of AI in improving IT service management, contact Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

Digital Twins: What Are They & Why Are They Implemented?

By centexitguy

On May 26, 2020

In Tech Buzz

A Digital Twin can be defined as a fully mapped digital version of a real-world system. In terms of business, a Digital Twin is described as a digital entity that simulates the structure of an organization. Digital Twin’s technology has moved beyond its initial phase and is now used to merge worlds of IoT, AI, and data analytics. As the business models are gaining complexity, Digital Twins also assist in advance planning and ROI citations.

Most businesses are implementing Digital Twins because of an array of benefits offered by them:

Product Insight: A Digital Twin is a comprehensive collaboration of AI, machine learning, and data analytics. This allows the manufacturers to gain an insight into real-world usage of their products and predict any issues before they actually arise. This gives them an opportunity to take preventive measures to overcome such risks in advance; thus reducing business downtime and overhead expenditures.
Supply Chains: Combining product and packaging data with Digital Twins technology can help in improving efficiency by automating packaging selection. It will also help supply chain managers in optimizing packaging strategies for product protection. Further, the supply chain is impacted by micro-variables such as temperature, humidity, etc. The data on micro-variables can be collected from sensors placed across different geographic locations of the supply chain. This data can be fed into the Digital Twin model of the supply chain network to predict and control their impact.
Customer Service: A Digital Twin of a business organization can be used to analyze customer behavior based on customer feedbacks. This facilitates the development of new products and improvement of existing products in a customer and data-driven way resulting in improved customer satisfaction.
Resource Allocation: Understanding the priorities of parallel business processes and allocating the resources accordingly is necessary for effective management of business operations. Digital Twin models of business networks equip the management with the data required to allocate the resources efficiently. For Example: A Digital Twin model of a healthcare organization (such as a hospital) can be set up completely with all its elements including equipment, doctors, administrators, etc. This model can be used to get real-time updates on patients’ health with the help of sensors for quick analysis and decision making. This reduces the patient wait – time and can prove life-saving in time-sensitive scenarios.<

For more information on Digital Twins and benefits of implementing them in business, contact Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

Data Encryption Transformations Entrepreneurs Should Know About

By centexitguy

On May 23, 2020

In Security

PDF Version: Data-Encryption-Transformations-Entrepreneurs-Should-Know-About

Data Principles For A Successful Digital Business

By centexitguy

On May 19, 2020

In Security

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has made it important to minimize human interaction in business operations. As most people are staying at home and practicing minimum mobility, it is time to scale up your software-based systems to meet the business needs and consumer demands. However, when businesses consider replacing their operations with digital technologies, they need to ensure thoughtful technology decisions, practices, and investments.

One of the core pillars that guide the decision making for a digital business is data. In order to formulate a successful digital business strategy, it is imperative to layout some data principles. The three basic data principles for a successful digital business are:

Data Is An Asset: The first data principle for a successful digital business is to understand how digital business is different from conventional business. Although the underlying concept of a digital business is same as that of a physical business, the difference lies in the role of data as an asset. The success of a digital business is based on collecting data and applying it to accelerate workflows, increase flexibility, target value propositions, and achieve business goals. The data plays the role of most important assets for a digital business as it provides the necessary information required for formulating successful future strategies.
Increase The Value Of Data Assets: The main difference between data and other assets is that data can be applied to multiple domains continuously. However, it is important to choose a suitable way to use data in a constructive manner for the effective use of resources. The second data principle for a successful digital business is to take steps to increase the value of data assets. While deciding a suitable way of using data, the main focus should be on increasing business’s efficiency while improving data sharing.
Data Security: With an increasing number of data breaches, it is necessary to implement the third data principle of data security. Business data may include personal information of users, business strategies, trade secrets, etc. A data breach can lead to loss of credibility among users. It can also cause financial loss to the organization by damaging the brand image or resulting in loss of business. Thus, in order to ensure the success of a digital business, it is important to keep the business data secure.

For more information on data principles and strategies to implement digitization of businesses, contact Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.