Lost Employee Smartphone? Do this NOW!

"Hey boss, I lost my smartphone."

How well have you prepared forthis moment? It will happen sooner or later. If your company has a plan in place, no big deal. If not,you may suddenly get that sinking feeling in your gut…And well you might. You now have three big worries:

Compliance Issues - If your employee had access to information covered by any number of regulations, your company could be subject to stiff penalties. One employer we know of wound up with a $900,000 fine.

Data Security - Sensitive company data in the wrong hands could spell disaster. Access to your network, secure sites, proprietary files, work-related e-mails and corporate secrets may now be out of your control. You must move quickly to prevent serious financial harm.

Employee Privacy and Property Concerns - If a valued employee had family photos and movies on the device, and you remotely delete all data on the phone, you may now have a disgruntled, or even uncooperative, employee. Especially if company policy regarding BYOD (bring your own device) and data loss were not clearly stated and agreed to up-front.

So how do you prevent a relatively minor incident from blowing up into a big problem? Here are seven smart measures you can take right now to prepare for the day an employee smartphone is lost or stolen:

1. Install a mobile device management(MDM) system on any employee device to be used at work. This software can create a virtual wall separating work data from personal. It facilitates any security measures you wish to impose. And to protect employee privacy, it can limit company access to work data only.
2. Determine which devices will be allowed and which types of company data people may access from them.
3. Require that employees agree with an Acceptable Use Policy before they connect to your network. Make sure these include notice as to conditions in which company data may be wiped i.e., destroyed. Also include specific policies regarding device inspection and removal of company records.
4. Put strong data protection practices in place. Require use of hard-to-crack passwords and auto-locking after periods of inactivity. Establish protocols for reporting lost or stolen devices. Mandate antivirus and other protective software as well as regular backups.
5. Designate someone at your company to authorize access to software and critical data. This person can also be your main point of contact for questions about BYOD policy and practices. It might also work well to distribute a resource page or FAQ document to your employees.
6. Establish a standard protocol for what to do when a device is lost or stolen. Both Android and iOS phones have features that allow device owners to locate, lock and/or wipe all data on their phones. Make sure your policy requires that these features are set up in advance. Then, when a device is lost or stolen, your employee can be instructed to take appropriate action according to your protocol in order to protect company data.
7. And finally, your best protection is to implement a well-crafted BYOD policy in advance. Develop it in partnership with risk management and operations personnel, as well as legal counsel and IT professionals, to come up with an effective and comprehensive plan.

Don't risk waiting until an incident occurs!-

Know where you stand right now with our FREE BYOD Policy Assessment.

We'll review your BYOD policy with you to make sure it covers all bases. No BYOD policy yet? No problem. We'll help you get started and work with you and your team to develop a bulletproof BYOD policy to keep your data safe.

This service could easily be worth thousands of dollars to you, not to mention untold headaches and time lost due to an employee phone getting into the wrong hands. Unless you are prepared and can move quickly when an employee device is lost, your company’s confidential data can be leaked and access to critical systems may be compromised.

Contact us today at JR@PTScinti.com, or better yet call (513) 624-5113 right away, to schedule your initial consultation at absolutely no cost or obligation to you. We offer this complimentary service to give you a taste of our high degree of professionalism, and as a way of caring for our community.

Do not delay on this - it is a serious vulnerability that can and must be addressed in order to assure the safety of your company's data and systems.

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Client Spotlight: The David C Doyle Agency

The Agency has been serving the Eastern section of the Tri-StateClermont, Hamilton and Brown Counties for over 30 Years. The agency is also licensed in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas and provides auto,homeowners, life and business insurance. "We strive to serve our clients wherever they may go, move or buy additional property. Ultimately, your satisfaction comes from our working on your behalf." David Doyle Would you like your company highlighted here in our "ClientSpotlight"? Then give us a call today at 513-624-5107 David Doyle 513-474-5995

Skill and Will

Let's get one thing straight, we all begin as a NOVICE. No one, let me repeat that, NO ONE, starts as an Expert. We all have to learn to walk, talk,eat, swim, count, write and read. We all start at zero, the bottom, from scratch,zip, with absolutely no knowledge,experience or understanding of the thing we are about to learn. I actually like that fact; for once, everyone starts at exactly the same place. No one has a head start when it comes to learning.

So then the journey begins; your progression from being a Novice, to being Average, then Skilled, then a Specialist and finally an Expert is all up to you. I really like the title of "EXPERT" because it has to be earned. You can assign someone a title of Vice President orSales Manager, Boss or Director, but EXPERT, that title is something to be revered, respected and admired.

EXPERTS have put in the time, effort and study to EARN the title. They have dealt with the pains, frustrations,exhaustion and stress that come with obtaining the title of EXPERT. In fact, it's really not a title at all: it's a designation or confirmation that the person you are dealing with is very, very good at what they do. To be an EXPERT, you have to have passion, conviction, focus, discipline, dedication, drive, purpose, commitment, spirit, determination, and the undeniable WILL to perfect your SKILL.

According to the American Society for Training Development, American workers average 6.5 minutes per day developing their skill. That statistic alone explains why there are so many average-performing people. Most people just aren't WILLING to put in the time and effort needed to raise their skill level.

Your success has a great deal to do with your level of SKILL, but not everything. I was speaking to a Vice President of Sales yesterday who was expressing her frustration with several of the salespeople working for her who have the skill but not the will. She told me they have all the talent, but yet they still don't excel. She went on to say they have the training, knowledge, understanding and a huge opportunity, with thousands of potential clients available for them to call on, but they accept being average.

You have the FREE WILL to succeed,if you have the WILLINGNESS to do it. The big question is WILL you? Who would have ever thought such a simple word as WILL would have so much to do with your success. Here is a quote that I hope will help you see how important WILLPOWER is to your success.

"Lack of willpower leads to more failure than lack of intelligence or ability." -Anchee Min

Anyone can go from Novice to Expert if they have the WILL to do it. But the Skill Knob can only be turned to the "Expert Notch" if you have the WILL to make it happen and the discipline to study, learn and practice to perfect your SKILL.

Robert Stevenson is a highly sought after, internationally known speaker. He is the author of the best-selling books How to Soar Like An Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys and 52 Essential Habits For Success. Robert is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and is a former All-American Athlete. He started his first business at 24 and has owned several companies. Robert has international sales experience dealing in over 20 countries, and his client list reads like a Who in Business. He has shared the podium with such renowned names as Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, Former President George H.W. Bush, Anthony Robbins and Steven Covey. www.robertstevenson.org/

What if you could follow visual GPS directions simply through glasses?

You wouldn't have to look down at your phone while crossing the street. That's one reason for the appeal of a new breed of augmented reality (AR) glasses. Epson, for instance, will release its BT-300 headset line late this fall. Uses could include helping a doctor do surgery, or a mechanic repair a car. Or enable you to read notifications or e-mails without having to look down at a device. It's still an emerging technology, yet Epson's BT-300 glasses are surprisingly light and sleek unlike bulky VR headsets. While they must still be connected by wire to a controller, they do bring AR one step closer to daily wear. -DigitalTrends

The day a robot hands you a pink slip isn't as far off as you think.

As robots and artificial intelligence (AI) mature, the number of jobs that humans can handle better than machines is dwindling. From 1975 to 2011, US manufacturing output more than doubled. Yet humans employed in manufacturing jobs decreased by 31%. And that's just one example of a growing trend. The turn of the 20th century saw machines start to take over manual labor. Now machines that can think are taking over white-collar jobs. So while the George Jetson push button lifestyle has its appeal, how will you earn a living in this new era? Think of it this way: you can't outrun a horse, but you can learn to ride one.
-PCmag

Gartner predicts customer experience will be the key battleground for companies by 2020.

And data will play a pivotal role. Will your company be ready? Here are three ways to tap into this brave new world: 1) Build trust. Customer data can be hard to get, especially for new brands. Yet 46% of Americans said they divulge more data with brands they trust. 2) Cocoon customer data for them in a shared platform. Apple's iCloud, for instance, helps users sync bookmarks, notes, to-do lists and even files across their Apple devices. 3) Make your world fi t each customer like a glove. Picture a vacationer booking an Airbnb home on her laptop. As she walks in, a nest-enabled air-conditioner checks her ID, then sets her preferred temperature, mood lighting and coffee blend. -Entrepreneur

Want to really nail it next time you present your company publicly?

Do these three things: 1) Tell the whole story. It may seem scary to speak in front of bright, important people. But we're all people at the end of the day. People love stories. And a nuanced story helps them see how you can improve their lives far better than a bullet list of features does. 2) Brag authentically. You may have been taught to avoid talking in terms of II/me/my" forget it! Speak confidently about your professional journey. Also, it's okay to soak up best practices from mentors. Just use them in ways that are true for you. 3) Challenge the status quo. No matter your industry, there are huge challenges and opportunities. People really appreciate it when you address them head-on. -Inc.

"And the winning productivity app is..."

Online collaboration tools lead to higher productivity in at least fi ve ways: 1) They let remote teams communicate effectively. 2) Members can search and archive previous discussions. 3) Back-and-forth questions about work by e-mail aren't needed. 4) Teams can talk about work within the context of the work itself. 5) Team members can express themselves, joke around with fellow workers and get to know each other on a personal basis, thus boosting productivity. These tools come in three types: 1) Communication apps like HipChat and Slack focus on messaging. 2) Task management apps like Asana and Trello help keep projects on track. 3) All-in-one collaboration tools like Igloo and Podio blend social networks with workflow. Bottom line? Online collaboration tools make teams stronger. -PCmag.com