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What is a CDN? Should You Use One?

You may be familiar with the term Content Delivery Network (CDN) as a way that webmasters speed up their sites. While the digital workings of getting a CDN developed and deployed are on the technical side, the principle behind it is fairly easy to grasp. In fact, without CDNs, the internet would be a much more frustrating place for visitors, and quite possibly a less profitable one for businesses using their website for ecommerce or lead generation.

A content delivery network (CDN) is a geographically distributed group of servers that work together to provide fast delivery of cached internet content. A CDN allows for the quick transfer of assets needed for loading HTML pages, JavaScript files, stylesheets, images and videos. The popularity of CDN services continues to grow, and most web traffic is now served through them. Also, when a CDN is correctly configured, it can protect your website from some malicious attacks, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).

Though a CDN cannot substitute the need for web hosting and doesn’t host content, it aids with static cached content at the network end to improve website performance. Many times, traditional hosting services are unable to meet the performance needs of websites, and it is at this stage that they need the help of a CDN. CDNs use static cached content to reduce bandwidth hosting, prevent website downtime and improve website security.

For example, assume that your main server is hosted in Orlando, Florida, and someone in Reims, France, tries to access it. In that case, they will be redirected to the nearest server, which could be in Paris. This would limit the number of internet hops required to send the static files to the end-user.

Your proximity to the web server has a direct impact on the load time. If you deploy your content across different geographical distributed servers, you can increase the load time of your content, which improves the user experience (UX). The closer you are to the CDN server, the faster you get the content.

For those interested in conducting more extensive research, Cloudflare – a provider of CDN solutions – offers a free series of lessons on the workings of a CDN on its website.

How does a CDN work?

To increase the proximity of the end user and the website server, a CDN stores a static cached version of its content in different geographical locations, which is also known as PoPs or points of presence. Every PoP consists of a number of cache servers, which are responsible for content delivery to people within its vicinity.

This means that a CDN puts your content at several locations at any given time, providing an improved user experience (UX) to all of your customers. Returning to our first example, when someone in Paris accesses a website hosted in the United States, it is made possible by a local French Point of Presence (PoP). The travel time drastically reduces here, and the load time increases substantially, which ultimately improves the UX.

Who uses a CDN?

WordPress users, a popular content management system for websites – and the one we use on eServe – and most of the predominant platforms for blogs, websites using any of those will achieve the full benefits of a CDN. WP Beginner offers this infographic on content delivery networks that tells the full story. However, most websites that make use of a CDN is common practice for sectors that include e-commerce, advertising, mobile, media, entertainment, healthcare, government and higher education.

Chris Love – The PWA Guy give his top 3 reason to use a CDN

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3 Reasons Why You Should Use a CDN #webperf #onlinemarketing https://t.co/XmsBHOwWDM pic.twitter.com/M6os6Kc1y9

— Chris Love – The PWA Guy 📳📱 (@ChrisLove) April 10, 2018

Why should you use a CDN to host jQuery?

  Though not a language, jQuery is a fast and concise free JavaScript library that simplifies HTML document traversing, event handling, animating and Ajax interactions for rapid web development. For faster access and improved performance, web developers use a CDN to host their jQuery library. Using a CDN reduces the jQuery library download time. Visitors in the United States use the U.S. CDN, and those in Europe use a European CDN, which significantly reduces the overall page load time.

  The benefits of using a CDN

  Having a CDN can positively impact the performance of your website. Here are some of the main benefits.

It improves the load speed of your website – Visitors tend to leave the websites that take too long to load, and many never return. By making the content available closer to the visitors, the nearby CDN server significantly increases the load speed of your website. As the load speed increases, a CDN helps lower the bounce rates and increases the amount of time people spend on your site.

It improves SEO – Fast-loading pages allow your website to rank higher in searches, as Google has indicated that site speed is one of the signals its algorithm uses to rank pages.

Increases availability of content and redundancy – Too much traffic and hardware glitches can disrupt normal website functioning. As a distributed system, a CDN can handle large amounts of traffic and can also weather hardware glitches.

It reduces bandwidth costs – When it comes to website hosting, bandwidth consumption is the primary component that increases your overall cost. CDNs substantially reduces the hosting costs for websites through optimizations and caching, which lowers the amount of data an origin server needs to provide.

It improves your website security – A CDN can help organizations keep their website safe, as it prevents or mitigates DDoS attacks. A CDN can protect your website by automatically absorbing the load.

  Interested in using a CDN? Here are the Best CDN Companies!

As CDNs becomes even more indispensable, an ever-increasing number of companies are entering the market as CDN providers – such as Akamai, Amazon AWS, Cloudflare, Incapsula, StackPath (formerly MaxCDN) and Rackspace.

Of course, safe and secure content delivery is also important. eServe is a secure content delivery platform that enables both e-learning leaders and high-tech manufacturers to reduce their risk of revenue loss with the loss of their intellectual property.

With the flexibility to use eServe as either a stand-alone learning platform or an arsenal for all of your intellectual property, businesses of all sizes and types can benefit from the security we provide. Whether you want to share corporate training content with remote teams, travel on mobile devices and stay secure, or send secure product plans or contracts to your partners overseas, eServe can meets your needs. Contact us to learn more.

What is a Content Delivery Network and How Does it Work? was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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Cryptocurrency 101

What You Need to Know About Cryptocurrencies

Have you heard about Bitcoin? Do you know what Litecoin, Ethereum, IOTA and Dash are? All are cryptocurrencies – which are also called virtual currencies, tokens or digital cash. They work like money but are different from government-backed U.S. dollars. Although cryptocurrencies are generating a buzz in the media, they are generally not well understood.

Most people, when they do hear about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, associate it with a skyrocketing market – some would say they’re in a bubble mode. The cryptocurrency market capitalization went up to USD 135 billion from USD 18 billion in just a span of eight months (January to August 2017), which translates to a whopping growth of 650%.

If cryptocurrency captures your interest as a phenomenon or a potential investment, but you recognize you need to learn the fundamentals, here are the basics.

What is cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies “live” online, and, unlike government-issued currency, are backed by their own networks. Speaking technically, cryptocurrencies are restricted entries in a database.

A cryptocurrency is like money or a medium to exchange goods and services in the online arena. You can also trade cryptocurrency for physical cash, and it works with the help of cryptography.

Cryptography – or cryptology – is the process of changing usual plain text to indecipherable text and the other way around. It is a technique of transmitting and storing data in a specific form, which allows only the intended recipients to read and process the same. Cryptography not just protects your data from theft and alteration, it can be used for user authentication, as well.  

In other words, cryptography is the practice and study of processes for secure and safe communication involving third parties – also referred to as adversaries. Cryptography is used in cryptocurrency for transaction security and in controlling the creation of additional currency units.

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is used for online transactions only. These digital coins are stored in digital wallets, and are transferred electronically to the digital wallets of other people. Currently, there are many kinds of cryptocurrency, of which Bitcoin is the first and best-known.

A cryptocurrency overview

Cryptocurrency is decentralized and produced communally by the entire system of cryptocurrency, which is established at a predetermined rate and is publicly known from the start. The technical system being used for decentralized cryptocurrencies was first put in place by an individual or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto, developer of Bitcoin.

In the case of centralized banking and state economies like the Federal Reserve System, government or corporate boards have the control of supplying currency by getting money printed or demanding for additions to the digital banking ledgers.

However, governments or corporates have no control over producing new cryptocurrency units. In addition, the secret nature of cryptocurrency transactions makes it disposed to being used in criminal activities, such as tax evasion and money laundering.

As of September 2017, over 1,000 cryptocurrency specifications are in existence. Most of these are either derived from or akin to Bitcoin – the first fully implemented decentralized cryptocurrency. In the cryptocurrency system, the balance, safety, and integrity of ledgers is sustained by mutually distrustful parties in a community. Known as miners, these users – with the help of their computers – validate and timestamp transactions, then add them to the ledger in accord with a specific timestamping system.

Miners are given financial incentive to maintain the security of a cryptocurrency ledger.

Almost all of the cryptocurrencies are designed to slowly reduce production of currency, which means there is a restriction on the total amount of currency in circulation at any given time. In comparison to the regular currencies kept as cash in-hand or held by other financial institutions, it is difficult for law enforcement agencies to seize cryptocurrencies because of cryptographic technologies.

How does cryptocurrency work?

A cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is made up of peer networks. Each peer has a history of all the transactions and the balance in every account is also known to all of them.

The transaction here is defined as a file that contains information, like Alice gives 25 Bitcoins to Harry, with Celina’s private key aiding as a signature. Once the transaction is signed, it is then shared on the network. And, as soon the information is shared, based on a peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, every peer in the group receives the transaction detail. However, these details are also confirmed on public ledgers after a specified time.

Confirmation is of utmost importance in the case of cryptocurrency transactions because a transaction can be forged even as it is pending until that step.

But, once a transaction is confirmed, forgery cannot be committed as it becomes a transaction history record that is deemed as final. This is known as blockchain. Only miners can confirm a transaction. Miners are accountable for stamping a transaction, and are the ones who spread this information all across the network. For stamping transactions, the miners are given an incentive in the form of a token.

Put simply, the process of confirming a transaction and adding it to a public ledger is known as mining. The miners have to solve a complex computational problem, a kind of mathematical puzzle, to add a transaction to the public ledger.

Since the time cryptocurrencies came into being, all the confirmed transactions are stored in the public ledger. The coin owner’s identities are encrypted, and other cryptographic techniques are used by the system to make sure that the record keeping is legitimate. The ledger makes sure that the given digital wallets are able to calculate the exact spendable balance.

Once confirmed, a cryptocurrency transaction cannot be reversed.

Basic characteristic of cryptocurrencies:

Each cryptocurrency is somewhat different, but most have the following basic characteristics in common.

All cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible – Once a cryptocurrency transaction is confirmed, there is no way to retract it.

Cryptocurrencies are globally accessible and fast – All entries are transmitted across the network instantly and are confirmed in just a few minutes.

All cryptocurrencies are anonymous – Anyone can open a wallet. It is not necessary to provide identification, and all have varying steps of anonymity, which primarily depends on the token you use.

All the cryptocurrencies have a limited supply, which is controlled by the network.

All the cryptocurrencies are very secure, using the latest cryptographic technologies.

  What is The Future of Cryptocurrency?

To get an idea of the future of Cryptocurrecy, we turned to Yael Tamar, CEO of HACERA,

“The regulation around cryptocurrency tightens every day. Most experts agree that utility tokens will play a role in the future economy; however, most also agree that cryptocurrencies will not replace fiat currencies and that the case of replacing financial intermediaries with all their security measures isn’t even the most interesting use of blockchain-based technologies, and cryptocurrencies in particular.”

    So, is it too late for you to take a plunge in the cryptocurrency market?

No, it is not too late to invest in cryptocurrency. However, the standard advice for making any kind of investment holds true for cryptocurrency: Don’t speculate more that you are comfortable losing.

As of now, only some countries, like Japan and the Philippines, have legalized Bitcoin, but others are soon to follow suit. Though cryptocurrency is legal – as well as taxable – in the U.S., it is still not a legal tender, and works only as an investment instrument. Regardless of what the future holds for cryptocurrency, its game-changing impact on the financial world will continue to reverberate.

Cryptocurrency 101: What You Need to Know About Cryptocurrencies was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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Blockchain For Dummies:

What is Blockchain & How Does it Work?

There has been a lot of talk and excitement over Bitcoin in the news recently, which may leave you scratching your head as to what it is and – more importantly – how it works.

At its simplest, a Blockchain is a shared database (ledger) that everyone can write to and access to verify transactions. It is extremely secure because the transactions are encrypted with 256-bit cryptographic keys. Blockchain is a way of keeping a record of the ledger over time, but via a decentralized system. So instead of the record of every transaction that has occured on a server, all the information is kept in the decentralized ledger (the blockchain).

While many people consider Bitcoin and Blockchain one and the same, they aren’t.

Bitcoin is a type of unregulated digital currency created in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto – which is believed to be a pseudonym for one individual or a collective. Also known as a “cryptocurrency,” Bitcoin was launched to bypass government currency controls and simplify online transactions by eliminating third-party payment processing intermediaries. Because accomplishing this required more than just the money itself, there had to be a secure way to make transactions with the cryptocurrency.

When Bitcoin was released as open source code, blockchain was wrapped up together with it in the same solution. And since Bitcoin was the first application of blockchain, people often inadvertently used “Bitcoin” to mean blockchain. That’s how the misunderstanding started. Blockchain technology has since been extrapolated for use in other industries, but there is still some lingering confusion.

Is Blockchain Safe?

Yes! These ledgers are constantly checked against one another automatically to stay up to date with the master. The master is the longest most agreed-upon chain at any given time. Says Adam Kerpelman, founder and CEO of Juris – Human-Powered Dispute Resolution for Blockchain Smart Contracts,

“Anyone (or any program) can check the ledger any time because the ledger is public. But, everything on the ledger is encrypted, so unless you have the key for the ledger slots you’re trying to look at, all you see is nonsense. This is how the system is able to be secure, but also public.

“Everything is encrypted using a algorithm that is, as of now, unhackable. So, if you take a look at a blockchain ledger at any given time you can see that X address, took part in Y transaction with Z address, but unless you have the keys it’s all just nonsense. If you do have the keys for those slots, you can see, and verify the database behavior just like you would if it were a central bank server.”

In that way, blockchain is secure because it’s impossible to hack (unless you’re able to guess a bad password,) but there’s also extra security in the decentralization. Where one bank server could be hacked and give access to the whole database, providing the correct password on a blockchain would only allow the hacker access to that one slot, or the few slots associated with that password. An additional security advantage is that a fire or catastrophic event on the central server wouldn’t destroy the database, because it lives on thousands of computers around the world.

Where is Blockchain Used The Most?

Currently, the biggest impact is being felt in the financial space because the financial industry’s business is essentially tracking transactions. All banks really do for the average person is keep track of a running list of transactions and match that up against various touchpoints to reflect money moving around. This is why Bitcoin is creating a sensation. It was built to decentralize many of the services banks provide for a fee, essentially making it so that anyone who has the Bitcoin software can do what banks do. In fact, some major financial services companies – including JP Morgan and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation – are experimenting with blockchains and blockchain-like technologies to improve the efficiency of trading stocks and other assets. Traders buy and sell stocks rapidly, but the behind-the-scenes process of transferring ownership of those assets can take days. Some technologists believe blockchains could help with that.

“When it comes to security, it’s one of the most secure emerging technologies,” says Karrie Sullivan, Principal of Culminate Strategy Group, Chicago, IL. “The biggest threats to Blockchain security we’ve seen so far are sloppy coding/security, insider theft, and (in the future) quantum computing.”

  What is Blockchain Technology and How Does it Work? was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning

Today, many students are millennials, and this subset is a small representation of the Y and Z generation who grew up without knowing a time before the internet.  Due to the rise of the internet, education has adapted to the new ways people learn. Online learning environments are becoming more frequent now, which allows education to be open to a whole new population of students.

This online learning environment, also referred to as e-learning, is at its most basic definition utilizing electronic technologies to access educational materials outside of a traditional classroom. Just as there are a variety of different learning styles there are also a variety of e-learning delivery methods.

More specifically, two of these learning styles are asynchronous learning and synchronous learning. These terms are often applied to online education options, describing whether or not students in a given course progress through the syllabus at the same time or independently.

As Julie Meloni defines it in an article for “The Chronicle of Higher Education”, synchronous learning is “same time, different place”, and asynchronous learning is “different time, different place.”

  Mauren Orey of Workplace Learning & Performance Group gives us a great analogy to explain the difference, “The difference between asynchronous and synchronous learning is like the difference between online dating and meeting someone in a bar. Online  dating can be done anywhere any time – asynchronously; but if we meet in a bar it could be synchronicity… or synchronous, because we were both there “live” at the same time. Granted this is not a perfect analogy, because meeting in a bar is not online – but I imagine you get the point. Synchronous learning is what I like to call “live on line”; everyone must align their calendars, and of course time zones so that they can all be meeting together for learning new things and sharing new ideas.”

      Asynchronous learning –  is often used synonymously with self-paced.

“In the recent explosion of MOOCs and online degree programs, the vast majority are asynchronous. For instance, if you register for a course on EdX or Coursera, you log into the site and the whole course is laid out before you. In theory you could do the whole thing in one sitting, or you could do it slowly, paced out over weeks. Elsewhere there are hundreds of other students going through the same class, each at *their* own pace. Hence the asynchronicity.” – Rob Sheppard of Ginseng English

  As Meloni states, asynchronous communication and learning is by far the more popular learning type because many of the learning tools are free, require minimal hardware, and are used at the student’s pace. However the downside to asynchronous learning is that courses are inherently less timely and efficient. Conversation only happens in real time if students and instructors all happen to be logged into for example a discussion board at the same time.

Ways in which students can be engaged in an asynchronous learning environment include discussion boards, blogs, social networking sites, and emails/listservs.

  Synchronous learning – is usually facilitated by some sort of videoconferencing to bring students and teachers together at the same time. This means that one of the barriers of implementing the videoconferencing is the software, hardware, and bandwidth of both the institutional side and the student side. However, it is the closest thing to physically attending a class that you can get in terms of e-learning.

For example, Blackboard has integrated chat and whiteboard features that have requirements that are likely less cost prohibitive than those required for video conferencing. It is clear that while both synchronous and asynchronous learning have their unique benefits and limitations they are cementing themselves into a permanent part of our educational environment.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Learning | eServe Learning Tools was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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Secure Digital Encryption Apps

Secure messaging apps have become necessary, and grown in popularity, as consumers and businesses look to protect themselves and their business from hackers and phishing attempts. As content moves within your business, outside of it, and across time zones, it becomes susceptible to threats. At the moment, no one knows this better than Equifax. To fight this, we use tools like firewalls and data encryption. For his blog we talked with a few professionals in the industry and got their take on some of the best apps and encryption algorithms for protecting your data as you travel around connected to different networks.

Looking for the BEST Encryption Software?

“The best is GPG. There are a good number of programs built off of GPG, but there has never been a better one and there never will be. It’s mature, it adapts to any exploits found in the wild, and it’s the standard for any top-secret or government project. It supports every known cipher and it cannot be cracked. It is available for most platforms, but is native to the Linux family of OSes. It can act as an email plugin, it can tie into most every chat program, and it has been around for more than 2 decades.

What makes it the best is that it expects the user to learn how to leverage it. All other encryption software fails on this point and offers mechanisms to make it easier for the end-user. Those mechanisms are, inevitably, what compromises the security. “- Todd Millecam, CEO, SWYM Systems, Inc

3 Data Encryption Apps

Fueled

  Ryan Mantzer, Co-Founder of Fueled, an app development shop headquartered in NYC and founded in 2009 is a fan of Wickr. “I use Wickr whenever I need to have a reliably secure, private conversation. I use it with clients when we need to discuss highly sensitive information. I also use it with friends when discussing anything that might be embarrassing if it was ever made public.”

  Signal

James Donaldson of CopperHead gives his insight into Signal, the original encryption messenger., and SaltIM, a secure encryption app for enterprise systems.

“Messaging applications all vary in terms of application usage. The premier encrypted messaging application that really set the stage for all other applications is Open Whisper System’s Signal. Combining the best security practices like Perfect Forward Secrecy and End to End Encryption means users will have nothing to worry about when sending encrypted messages. The best part about Signal is that it requires absolutely 0 technical aptitude to use on any device, creating a low barrier to entry for users (and it’s free!) Signal is available on all platforms and available on CopperheadOS as Noise.” – James Donaldson, CEO, Copperhead

  SaltIM

 “In terms of enterprise offerings, SaltDNA’s SaltIM provides a robust solution for IT departments looking to control the outflow of information. SaltIM utilizes the same under-the-hood technology as Signal so you know you’re getting a solid encrypted offering. SaltIM has all the clippings needed by an IT department with high usage requirements – compartmentalization, administration console and quick deployment installations. SaltIM is available on desktops and mobile and offered through CopperheadOS as a partner package.”

– James Donaldson, CEO, Copperhead

  Need Security? Use Data Encryption Mobile Apps Like Signal was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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Encryption Algorithms & Methods

Nowadays, few things are as important as internet security. With the ever-present threat of hackers and phishers, finding a way to keep your files and messages safe online is a necessity. Encryption software is your best bet to keep your information safe from prying eyes.

What is digital file encryption?

Encryption is a security process that hides data until you are ready to use it by digitally jumbling the information. The software then unscrambles it once someone with the proper passwords tells it to, like a digital code breaker. Encryption is one of the best ways to maintain your privacy and send sensitive information securely like bank routing numbers, private client information, or yet to be announced product launch details.

What are the main encryption types & algorithms?

Triple DES

Triple DES is the most common encryption software out there, and is a reliable choice for businesses trying to keep sensitive information safe. Triple DES is widely used by many financial institutions.

RSA

If you’ve ever used encryption over the internet, it’s likely you have used RSA; it’s the most common form of encryption on the web. RSA uses two pieces of information, called keys, that allow the encryption and decryption processes to take place. The “public key” encrypts messages, and the “private key” decrypts them.

Blowfish

Blowfish is known for its speed and widespread availability. It is an open source software without patents, meaning anyone can use Blowfish for free. Developed in 1993 by Bruce Schneie as an alternative to DES, Blowfish is capable of running on many devices, including older computers. It is a block cypher, meaning its key and algorithm is applied to a block of data at once instead of one at a time.

Twofish

In many ways, Twofish is the “sequel” to Blowfish. Like Blowfish, it was created by Schneie and is an open source system. It was made in response to Blowfish aging and becoming more vulnerable as hackers and malware systems figured out how to get past it. Twofish runs on a symmetric system, meaning only one key is needed (like a lockbox that can only be opened with one key that fits exactly). Twofish is the fastest encryption software of its class, and is recommended by Schneie today.

AES

AES is the encryption software used by the US government. It is considered impossible for hackers to get past AES unless they are using a brute force method. A brute force method is using all possible combinations of character space by trial and error, instead of using an intellectual guess at a password.

The future of encryption

 AES is expected to eventually trickle down to the private sector and become the standard in encryption until Quantum computers make their way onto the market.

Quantum computers are powerful enough to use quantum-mechanical properties to solve problems more quickly than any computer currently in existence, and are expected to be in use by 2025. In the journal Nature, Tanja Lange and Daniel J. Bernstein wrote about the need for Post-Quantum encryption to secure files against faster computer processes. These are still theoretical, but will likely be the wave of cyber security in the future.

eServe can help you with all of your encryption needs.

eServe has reliable encryption services for all your company’s security needs, and will help you guard against advancing threats.

Popular Types of Encryption Algorithms & Methods was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

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5 Ways CRM Can Improve Customer Service

“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.” – Michael LeBoeuf.

Customers are the backbone of a company. Companies that take care of their customers and look after them well scale new heights, while those found lacking  hand over the advantage to their competitors.

Entrepreneurs have always been smart, but this is even more true for tech savvy customers. With the internet and social media connectivity, the market place has become a small world. It should be no surprise that according to Marketo, 93% of customers start the process of buying through an internet search. They know what to buy, from whom to purchase and when exactly to get it. Be it a product or service, they know whom to do business with and when to engage.

Customer experience is the new king! If keep your customers happy, and most importantly, keep their data secure, you stand to gain tremendously.

As per Gartner, in 2016, 89% of the organizations were ready to compete on the criterion of better customer experience. In the years to come as retail stores continue to die off, buying decisions could squarely rest on customer experience, and not on factors like price, product, or service.

What you can do to keep your customers happy and satisfied?

The more you look after your customers, the better it is for your organization. In order to survive in today’s times you should not just strive to provide, but you ought to ensure that your customers get the best possible experience.

You need to reach out to your customers much in advance and engage with them on a constant basis, so that they feel that they are important. Customers should never feel neglected. Research and studies show that when you proactively get in touch with your customers, they feel elated.

What you should you do to keep your customers happy and satisfied?

Don’t worry, technology has yet again come to the rescue of businesses, and we call it the customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Why CRM?

CRM or customer relationship management system is a software that can take care of all your customer’s needs. It is a software that allows businesses to automate, organize, and streamline every aspect of customer interaction, including sales, marketing, customer support and service. When all of these key aspects of business are combined, security is of the utmost importance. This is where eServe comes in, securing all of these vital documents with the latest encryption algorithms and methods, so nothing goes where it shouldn’t, and no one’s security is compromised.

Let’s take you through how a CRM software can improve your customer service and hence their experience.

5 ways you can improve your customer service with a CRM software

With the growing competition and readily available products and services on the internet, customers these days have several options to choose from, and they exercise this new found liberty to maximize their interest to the fullest. A CRM software solution not just allows you to keep your existing customers satisfied, but it also helps you attract new ones.

1- Manages all your customer information in one place – With a robust CRM system in place, all your customer information, including their personal details are stored in one single location, which can be accessed by all your team members. You not only have their contact details and purchase history, but your CRM software also stores your customer’s birthdays, their interest and hobbies and their social media preferences. These details, when used at the right time fetch you rich dividends and develops a strong personal connect with each of your clients. You know when, how and what to communicate to each of your customers.

And, best of all, your CRM system stores all the communication you have, or anybody in your organization has with every customer, so that you don’t miss out on any detail when speaking to them the next time.

A CRM software also ensures that there is no miscommunication with any of your clients, and that everyone in the organization is abreast with the recent developments with all your existing and potential clients. This sends out a positive signal about your company, which naturally impresses all your customers.

2- It keeps you connected with your clients – A CRM system is a powerhouse of customer database, you need to tap into those resources and keep in touch with them on a regular basis. It helps you in sending your customers targeted messages, promotional offers, and sales campaigns, which not only keeps you in touch with them, but also makes them feel important. It keeps their interest in your organization alive and kicking.

A CRM system also allows you to separate your customers into categories and segments. You can use it to filter out your all-important clients who give you maximum business and communicate with them separately to make them feel special. Also, you can send out different, yet relevant communications to each group separately, so that a meaningful engagement is established with all your existing customers.

3- Respond to customer complaints and queries immediately – This is one of the most important and significant advantage of having a robust CRM system. These days’ customers neither have time, nor do they have patience, and if you are able to provide them support quickly, they are bound to stick around with your organization. A CRM system automates your customer service function, which means all the complaints and queries you receive from your customers is stored in one single place, available online to your executives. As soon as a complaint is registered, the system generates a reference number, which automatically is passed on to the support staff, so that the issue is resolved.

Your CRM software also speeds up the process of responding to customer queries and complaints. Complaints are automatically forwarded to the relevant departments, which significantly reduces their turnaround time. When people who are technically capable of handling a complaint resolve the problem, it takes less time, and your customers feel happy and satisfied.

4- Tracks buying patterns of your customers to analyze their needs – A CRM software gives you the wherewithal to analyze the buying patterns of all your customers. You get to know their likes and dislikes, their buying habits and the time when they need it, you have all the information with the help of your CRM system. You can accordingly prepare your marketing strategies and your executives can then deliver precise sales talk to each customer, as per their needs and requirements. This shortens your sales cycle and helps you retain your existing customers, which increases the overall revenue of your organization.

Since everything that you communicate with your customers is recorded in your CRM system, you therefore know what they like and dislike, issues that bothered them in the past and whether they were satisfied with your services or not. You can mend your ways, or keep giving your customers best of services in order to retain them.

5- Keep in touch with your customers with a survey – Two way communication (read: surveys) have always worked wonders for businesses. With a CRM system in place you can have as many surveys as you want, but they should have relevance. You obviously would want to know what your customers think of the product or services you offer. It is best to ask them directly through a survey. Involving your customers in the improvement of your product or services and asking for their suggestions makes them feel important. This helps you get a better understanding of your customers.

When you get a genuine feedback, and if your product or services need some improvement, you should always honor such suggestions. After making amends when you approach your customers again, they are bound to get impressed and can become your loyal customers.

Looking after all your clients effectively requires technology support, and without it you just cannot give your customers a happy experience.

5 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service With CRM Software was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

[eservesolutions-blog]

The September Equifax data breach is by most accounts the most detrimental and damaging example of corporate hacking we’ve ever seen. While breaches like the one Yahoo experienced were larger in scale, the Equifax breach involved much more sensitive data – the most sensitive. But how exactly did this happen? Where did they go wrong?

Dan Goodin at Ars Technica found blatant flaws in the website Equifax setup just to see if someone was one of the 143 million people affected by the breach. So, we can only imagine what security features were in place (or missing) at the time of the breach.

What negligence steps on the part of Equifax, if any, helped this situation reach the level of a systemwide breach? What, if anything, could Equifax have done differently?

To answer these questions, we reached out to some of the leading security experts across the globe. Here is what they had to say:

1.  Equifax Missed a Critical Vulnerability Window

While most security professionals and the public now understand that the Equifax breach was a legitimate hack – not a case of outright employee negligence, Equifax also should have seen it coming. According to Justin Shipe, Vice President of CardConnect, the credit bureau knew about the Apache Struts vulnerability as far back as March of 2017. That same vulnerability was used to hack into their systems in June 2017.

“The Apache Struts vulnerability was disclosed in March and used on Equifax in June,” says Shipe. “That’s two months. PCI dictates that critical patches get patched up within 30 days.”

The problem for Equifax came down to vulnerability management. Today’s criminals are aware of all kinds of vulnerabilities to a system’s firewalls, so vulnerability management should be the highest priority of all IT personnel. However, as Shipe points out, it often requires more than just a change of process.

“For many companies, this may need to be a cultural shift. Have those hard conversations on what is truly most important,” says Shipe.

While some companies need to just patch up a few security holes, others will need a complete security overhaul. Whether that means moving all data to a digital document management system on the cloud or hiring a brand new security team, it would require full buy-in from all parties involved.

2.  Equifax Had Months to Detect & Respond to the Attack

According to Dave Burton, Vice President of Marketing for GuardiCore, the Equifax breach was one of lateral movement and occurred over a 5-month period.

“The attackers gained access to the data center through the original Apache exploit,” says Burton, “and then used various techniques to progressively spread through the network.”

As the hackers searched for the private information they were seeking, they were in the network for at least months, undetected. If they had been able to detect the breach in time, they could have saved their most critical assets from being corrupted. One way all companies can respond to progressive, or linear, breaches like this one is to segment their information across multiple servers – both virtual and physical.

3.  Equifax Needed an IDS (Intrusion Detection System)

“A lack of security knowledge seems to be a big factor here,” says Adam Sbeta, Director of RCE IT Resource. “Executives should give power to risk assessment management [teams] and hire reputable third parties to audit their security policies.”

According to Sbeta, Equifax could have patched the vulnerability or received alerts through an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) or IPS (Intrusion Prevention System). Both are built to detect network behavioral changes, so if a company has segmentation in place, they can kill a network connection where needed to avoid losing vital data.

“Now that most American’s data is out there in the wild forever, says Sbeta, “Any of the breached users can have their whole identity stolen and taken over. A little bit more of social engineering could have these attackers take over our lives.”

4.  The Breach Was Just Too Big For Equifax to Handle

Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, breaches like the Equifax breach are measured on a scale from 0 to 10 (with 10 being the highest) according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, or CVSS.

The Apache Struts vulnerability was rated a 9 out of a 10, making it almost (if not completely) unmanageable for Equifax.

“Out of the 1 billion or so vulnerabilities Kenna was tracking, it showed up as 1 of about 250 million,” says Michael Roytman, Chief Data Scientist at Kenna Security. “Unfortunately, that’s completely unmanageable for a corporate IT security team to mitigate.”

This shows a very wide gap between ordinary, everyday vulnerabilities and the massive attack Equifax faced.

5.  Hackers are Much Larger-Scale and High-Profile than We Know

 The question is not whether your company is attacked by a cybercriminal. The question is, when? Or, what are you going to do about it?

At least that is how Randy Battat, President and CEO of Preveil, sees it. According to Battat, the Equifax situation highlights more than ever the need for a plan that can counter central or multiple points of attack.

“Despite (most likely) tens of millions in annual security budget and hundreds of security analyst, even their system was compromised,” says Battat. “Which begs the question – why doesn’t every business assume their server can and will be hacked, and so design a system built for that new reality?”

While most organizations understand the importance of super users and firewalls, very few understand how to distribute those super users and the information they can access to avoid creating a centralized target for attack.

Whether a company is hacked from the outside or within, segmenting data this way will keep anyone from bringing an entire business down.

After serving global organizations large and small with sophisticated data encryption solutions, we believe erring on the side of caution is not just wise – it’s paramount. Security these days is about more than just safeguarding passwords and putting up firewalls. It’s about storing and sending information strategically. It’s also about knowing EXACTLY who has access to which files, when and where.

Our secure content delivery platform allows for strict user permissions and controls. You can decide exactly which files a given person has access to and restrict them from accessing more information than they require. You can also track which files were downloaded, saved, printed or viewed by IP address.

While most companies do not share such sensitive data as Equifax, we can all learn something about their breach. Protect your company, your consumers and your intellectual property with eServe.

Equifax Data Breach: How Did It All Go So Wrong? was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

[eservesolutions-blog]

7 Ways to Get the Most from Your Video Content

While there are a number of learning modes for corporate trainers to choose from, a digital age demands digital solutions. For many, video e-learning is just the ticket. Some might argue that video courses put learners in a passive role and that they lack interactivity. Meanwhile others praise video content for provoking deeper discussions, inviting learners to analyze and think.

The ability of video to simplify complex topics is profound.

Videos can be re-watched as many times as needed, contain smaller chunks of information which are easier to absorb, emotionally engage people, include websites, pictures, maps, captions and so much more.

Some would even call video the future of e-learning.

Others wouldn’t go that far. More traditional executives avoid video content unless it is thoughtfully produced and incorporated into a larger, more strategic, training plan.

What’s the magic answer for your organization? We reached out to 6 experts in the e-learning space to ask them how to get the very best results from their video content. Here is what they had to say.

1.  With Video Learning, Focus on User Experience

Chris Hood, a Digital Strategist with CH Digital, says true video learning should be developed out of content the viewer truly desires to learn.

“If the desire to learn is genuine and the materials are something the viewer is interested in, the impact is much stronger,” says Hood who also adds that incentives such as bonuses or rewards also make video learning more effective.

Need help creating your first e-learning storyboard? Watch this 101-style video from E-Learning Uncovered.

2.  Use Audio Visual Content to Help Learners Pace Themselves

With over 65% of the population being audio-visual learners, any e-elearning course with video elements is bound to perform better. They also increase retention, as learners feel more engaged (with the material and the company.

“Viewers can learn at their own pace and review as necessary,” says Shmuli Rosenberg of Card Cash, a nationwide gift card retailer. “The ability to pause and rewind prevents distractions from being harmful to the process.”

3.  Structure Your Content in a Meaningful Way

Carlos Quinn, Head of Marketing at the e-learning company Kubicle, learned firsthand the “Dos” and the “Don’ts” of e-learning. A major “Don’t” for Quinn is creating canned video content that lacks depth or follows a “set it and forget it” mentality.

“There’s nothing wrong with short-form videos as long as the content is clearly structured and accompanied by practical exercises,” says Quinn.

Companies that do this right succeed. However, companies that fail to provide sufficient guidance or learning time will never see the rewards that well-planned and delivered e-learning content can provide.

4.  Use Video Learning to Leverage Live Instructor Training

For Aaron Norris, VP of the Norris Group, the success of his company hinged largely on e-learning. From Photoshop lessons to landing page design, Norris fuels his business growth almost entirely with video courses online.

“The beauty of online [learning] is allowing brilliance to scale,” says Norris, who praises his online Photoshop teacher Deke McClelland for making the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop come alive.

“Deke was the perfect instructor. Just the right amount of approachable, passionate, brilliant, nerdy and funny,” says Norris.

The great news is that some of McClelland’s courses are now available on Youtube. You can get an idea of how he engages his audience by watching the clip below.

As we become even more global and digital, our access to quality instruction only gets bigger – for Norris, video e-learning helps us use that bounty of talent to our advantage.

5.  Use Video Learning to Offset Instructor Costs

For Raz Shafer, Founder of My Campaign Coach, a political campaign support company, leverages video learning to give his clients the information and advice they need with ease. Shafer rolls live group coaching into the cost of his campaign building courses. He also credits the use of mixed media for helping his clients digest a wide array of knowledge at a faster speed.

“Instead of relying on hourly consultants or in-person training events,” says Shafer, “we’re able to offer potential candidates a cheap way to receive directed instruction about how to build their campaign. All at their own pace.”

6.  Take Education to the Next Level with Two-Way Streaming

While short-form video instruction improves retention and engagement, two-way amplifies growth in both areas. With so many companies using live streaming these days, users expect a more interactive experience. It’s the new stage for learning. And it works.

“Imagine having one-on-one access to the foremost authority in the world on the future of marketing or HR best practices, and then allowing your team the opportunity to interact with, learn from and be inspired by them,” said Keith Alper, founder and CEO of Geniecast. “We’ve curated a roster of thousands of experts, authors and speakers to revolutionize the way businesses can invigorate their employee base, train their teams and offer clients exclusive access to thought leaders in their field. It’s like having your own personal, interactive TED Talk customized just for you.”

Geniecast provides companies of all industries, shapes and sizes with two-way learning capabilities. Of course, just like any form of instruction, content stills need to be well-planned and structured to have a strong impact.

7.  Secure Your Content with eServe

Now, after you’ve done all the hard work of developing meaningful short-form or two-way videos that are catered toward your learners’ needs and wants, the last thing you want to do is lose it.  (Or, God forbid, let it get in the hands of your competitors). With content delivery platforms like eServe, you can store your video content securely in the cloud.

Using sophisticated data encryption software, we can help you merge your videos with Pdfs or other text files and deliver it anywhere, anytime to your users. We can also give you detailed analytics that tell you exactly how, when and for how long your content is being used.

Want to know which videos are performing best? eServe’s analytics tools can give you that information in a minute! And by storing your content securely, you can change and adjust as needed without the threat of losing any ground.

Does Video E-Learning Really Work? was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management

[eservesolutions-blog]

INTRODUCING THE DIGITAL AGE OF ENTERPRISE LEARNING. INTRODUCING ESERVE.

In the enigmatic words of Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a’changin’.”

The Internet has revolutionized the world in all spheres – from the way we communicate and shop to the way we learn and train. Thankfully, this has also opened up plethora of new avenues for education. With eLearning, Internet technology is being employed in a way that makes learning anywhere, anytime and at any speed.

Isn’t that such an exciting concept? No matter where you are at in the world or in the learning cycle, education can meet you where YOU are – not the other way around.

Also, while companies worldwide adapt and grow with e-learning applications, so do the applications and products themselves. There are tools to manage administration, automation, certification and micro-credentialing. Now, there are tools to manage content creation too!

Both the LMS and LCMS are enterprise wide-applications which enhance the flow of information from learning development teams to staff and new learners worldwide.

On that note, we are exciting to announce the development of our very own LCMS (Learning Content Management System). While the LMS (Learning Management System) manages people, the LCMS is a platform manages the content they consume.

And just like the flexibility of the LMS, the LCMS works anywhere, any time and at any speed – allowing you to cater the content to YOUR organization’s needs, rather than the other way around.

Want to know more?

Watch this introductory video to eServe – a tool designed to bring enterprise learning into the digital age.

[eservesolutions-blog]

3 HIDDEN THREATS TO VIRTUAL TRAINING PROGRAMS

Let me ask you a question. Are you conducting your virtual training through an e-learning channel, like Blackboard or Moodle? It’s funny. Companies know they need to train their employees on security protocol, but often they communicate that protocol in some rather un-secure ways.

According to a recent survey from Trustwave, a majority of companies have either no system in place or a partial system in place for monitoring and tracking their sensitive data.

Moreover, what we have found at eServe is that many companies are unaware of what kind of data they even need to protect! Is that you?

Think about it. Any training session you conduct for a new hire or seasoned employee would (and should) include data about your company’s processes, products, customers, strategies, goals and more. They are not just casual blogs or press releases – training materials contain proprietary data. That is data your competitors would love to have and that you should do everything in your power to keep from getting out!

You don’t have to be in a government agency or big tech firm to worry about this either. Whether your data is intentionally hacked or just mishandled, you would be surprised at who might be interested in using it to their advantage – or where it might end up. Corporate and virtual training leaders in every field – from medicine to the culinary arts- has company secrets to protect.

And it is often only after those secrets have become vulnerable that they realize what that information means in the wrong hands.

HERE ARE 5 HIDDEN THREATS TO PUTTING YOUR TRAINING INFORMATION ONLINE.

1. THE THREAT OF HACKING TO VIRTUAL TRAINING

Remember Julian Assange of Wikileaks? His goal was simple – expose the hypocrisy of the U.S. and other governments. As an expert computer programmer, he was able to achieve this goal. But you don’t have to be a political organization or nation to be threatened by a motivated hacker. You just need one company wanting to mirror your company and with the know-how to go after your information. Don’t let sticky fingers threaten your bottom line.

2. THE THREAT OF CARELESS EMPLOYEES TO VIRTUAL TRAINING

I bet if you were to survey your staff members you would find that at least 50% (if not more) write their password down on a sticky note and attach it to their monitor. Or, maybe they forget it altogether and use the password of their cubicle mate or neighbor. But who’s to say their neighbor is privy to the same information they are?

Also, who’s to say that sticky note doesn’t end up in the wrong hands? Or, what if the slides you presented during a WebEx conference aren’t saved on a staff member’s laptop that was accidentally lost or left behind? An employee does not have to be disgruntled to leave your proprietary information in the wrong hands.

They just have to be human. If you’re sharing any secure information with your staff, always keep that in mind.

3. THE THREAT OF UPHEAVAL TO VIRTUAL TRAINING

Another e-learning threat has nothing to do with the exposure of data – in fact it is quite the opposite. For some industries, such as medicine or finance, the rapid dissemination of information is crucial to the success of their operations. Many times, it can literally mean life or death.

Think about it like this. What if a medical organization in Florida scheduled a seminar titled “Zika Virus: Our response to the Threat & Treating Pregnant Women.” In 2016, the Zika crisis was a real and urgent threat for South Florida families. Getting the right information in the hands of professionals who needed it most was an urgent concern. Similar situations would be training for security institutions that contract out to the TSA or other government bodies.

Updates and training sessions are often ad hoc and almost always must go on without a hitch. Any threat to the system these sessions are conducted on could mean putting people and possibly whole areas at risk.

No matter where you fall on this spectrum or which threat concerns you the most, there is a solutions! Always secure your training sessions. Avoid putting your valuable knowledge in the wrong hands by setting up the right security infrastructure and protocol from the get-go:

• Only allow registered invitees to join meetings • Create specific passwords for each meeting rather than the same password for all your meetings • Coach your trainers to choose wisely who they let in the training rooms • Create rank-based permission levels (i.e., Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 access levels) • Track and analyze who accesses your data (when, where and how long)

Want to gain greater peace of mind with your corporate training content? eServe is a content delivery platform that helps you empower your staff with the freedom to train and learn on their schedule, while also providing you with the power to protect that information.

In the digital age, both security and flexibility are key to mastering corporate e-learning and digital document management.

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[eservesolutions-blog]

WHAT THE TOP E LEARNING COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE TRAINING

E-learning, should it continue to adapt, will only continue to grow worldwide. The challenge often lies in finding a platform that is engaging, efficient and gives the most ROI.

Some providers know the secret. Do you?

Whether you run a multinational operation or a single location, content accessibility is key to your success (and your profits) in the digital age. The shift from the traditional computer to mobile provides both new opportunities and a host of new challenges. Your company can be scattered across the globe, but able to access the same content.

However, engaging your staff with the content, rather than falling victim to an infinite loop of online cat videos, will affect your bottom line. Many companies have already begun to address this shift and have started to adapt their platform, content, and compatibility to keep up with the modern learner.

9 THINGS E-LEARNING COMPANIES DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW

1.  ASSUMPTIONS BECOME COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

Take the time to assess your audience, even if it means reallocating portions of your e-learning budget. Pulling data based on user’s behavior has become commonplace. Do not cut corners in developing or updating your online training by forgoing any data analysis. Making assumptions about users’ learning pace, or what knowledge they already bring with them becomes counterproductive to your cause.

Know what motivates your user. Do they seek certifications? On-the-job resources? Perhaps just looking to pass the time on a slow afternoon? Some degree of standardization makes for an efficient build, but a one-size-fits-all training program may actually fit fewer than you would think. Do your research and know your audience.

2.  CONTENT MUST BE ENGAGING

Employees expect corporate training to be boring or dry. Prove them otherwise! Depending on the industry, developing personable, entertaining content can help liven up your training program. You may even consider, when appropriate, a joke or two. In fact, a bit of humor or an unusual tidbit tends to stick around in our memory a little stronger than just fact, after fact, after fact. Think of how much “useless trivia” you have retained through the years. You remember it all for a reason.

Above all, the content must be engaging. The average learner gives content less than seven seconds before deciding to move on! When surveyed, the majority of people (76%) expressed the most concern over the quality of e-learning digital content. That means it ranked higher than relevancy, clarity, and the ability to earn certifications. (Remember that whole thing about assumptions being counterproductive?)

3.  APPEARANCES MATTER

First impressions stick. Aim to present your content in a visually interesting, engaging way. The two most important things to hone in on?  Interactivity and convenience. Drawn out power-points and hours-long modules no longer mesh with the life of the learner-on-the go.

Consider the micro-learning style of language acquisition app and site Duolingo. Many of the lessons can be completed in 10 minutes or less, but the learner has the option to do as many of those micro-sessions as they feel appropriate. If you quit after section three of a six section module, you can pick up at section four without an issue.

Experts predicted the “gamification” of e-learning years ago. Today, you can find it beginning to roll out in some e-learning platforms. You cannot really get much more interactive than a game that trains you, often in the exact scenarios you would be expected to perform in.

Most modern learners will not have the necessary patience or free time to pour through pages and pages of documentation. But they may have time for a 5-10 minute video. Include multimedia content to engage the learners, keeping the ideas fresh and timely.

4.  COLLABORATION MUST BE ENCOURAGED

The rise of social media has gotten people accustomed to sharing, discussing, and interacting online. By incorporating social tools into your e-learning site, the site becomes a viable alternative to scrolling through a social media feed. Turn a passive habit into a productive one, utilizing this craving for discussion. To engage your learners socially, add message and discussion boards, integration with social media pages, and group projects to the e-learning experience.

5.  MOBILE IS THE FUTURE

By 2021, smartphone traffic will exceed PC traffic. The modern learner uses two or more devices a day, usually a computer and a smartphone. But in e-learning, only 12% of platforms have a mobile component, highlighting a missed opportunity for many providers focused on productivity and affordability.

Employers have a bit to gain from mobile learning, especially due to the fact they do not have to purchase special equipment or devices. Using their personal devices, employees can enjoy learning on their own time, anywhere there is Wi-Fi or data coverage.

Mobile learning also allows for push notifications, informing a user if they have not logged into the site for a while. Out of site out of mind holds significant weight when it comes to education. In order to retain meaningful content, the content must be reviewed and refreshed in one’s memory frequently. Well timed notifications at appropriate intervals can help refresh past lessons and improve the overall success of an e-learning platform.

6.  USERS NEED TO SEE REAL-WORLD VALUE

If you want to get the most out of your course management system, you do not want your users to think “…but when will I use this in the real world?” Aim to make the real-world applications of your content clear and concise. Keep the line between the hypothetical and the abstract cut and dry. This highlights the importance of personalized content. You would not have employees of a ski resort take modules related to renting beach equipment, even if they were part of the same company or brand.  Some degree of specialization is required in order to retain the attention of the learner, regardless of location or company ownership.

7.  THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONALIZATION AND CUSTOMIZATION. KNOW IT.

Will a personalized system or a customized system perform better for your company? Knowing the differences between these two can have a huge impact on your e learning site, especially in how it pertains to the end user. The system performs personalization, the user performs customization.

PERSONALIZATION COMES IN TWO FORMS:

Role based- Groups together users by certain advance, well-defined characteristics.

Individualization– An individualized system creates of model of each individual user, and presents different things to each person. For an example of this, check out your shopping recommendations on Amazon.

In customization, the end user performs all adjustments to suit their own needs.

8.  VARIETY IS KEY

Corporate training is not one-size-fits-all. Recent polls have shown that the way in which people prefer to learn consists of a bit more variety than one would assume. While most people prefer to google all of their questions, people enjoy collaborative tools, self-paced e-learning, manager support, and job aid/checklists as their preferred learning methods.

A strong e-learning system would not be able to provide just that. Currently, the majority of people approach education like this: Have a Problem, Google the problem, apply the solution. Some experts feel that this mindset will lead to the death of e-learning, as the self-motivated learner will just find the solutions to their questions themselves. The challenge lies not in inspiring the quest for knowledge. The challenge lies in leading learners to this particular path on their educational journey.

9.  LOCALIZATION MAY BE NECESSARY

Depending on the location(s) of your business and employees, the e-learning content may need to be localized, and simple translation may not be enough. Be sure that words or phrases can be understood by those who will use the platform. Consider that in the US alone, we have different words for things depending on the region one lives in. (Soda versus Pop? Sandals, Slides, or Flip-Flops?) Consult with an expert when developing localized content.

When the development and distribution of e-learning content exists almost exclusively in English, regions such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America remain at a disadvantage. A lack of localization becomes more than just a language barrier, but a regional one as well. And no, a simple run through Google Translate does NOT work for this purpose.

The landscape of e-learning continues to evolve. Engagement, accessibility and affordability, disrupted by the ever-shifting needs of the learner, are now the priority when it comes to providing online corporate training. By adapting to the changing world of corporate training, the success of e-learning companies and the employees that use them, have nowhere to go but up.

From LMS education tools to content delivery and data encryption, we can help you conquer the e-learning mountain and personalize your delivery for every office or team member you serve.

[eservesolutions-blog]

CLOUD BASED ENCRYPTION: HOW IT WORKS & WHY WE NEED IT

The encryption debate is heating up. It’s obvious we need more security. But what’s not obvious to everyone is what the debate is really about.

No matter what Forbes tells you, the debate is NOT about privacy vs. security.

It’s about whether to choose less security or choose more security in an increasingly unsecure data age. Forget firewalls – we need encryption. And our encryption must be strong, airtight and integrated with every part of our internal and external operations.

THINK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE HANDING THE TECH IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

First, there is a desk support guy. Then, there’s the IT guy, the Infosec guy, the network guy, the administrator guy, and the list goes on. Worse still, each of these folk usually uses different software (to both do their job and to track different ‘issues’ as they arise). They all use their own laptops, of course, connecting with unique devices to the same VPN.

It is a seemingly innocuous circle of access that ironically often creates the only problem it was designed to solve. We sacrifice our security for the mere effort to “feel” more secure.

MEANWHILE, WE ASSUME A MASSIVE FINANCIAL LOSS IN TERMS OF PEOPLE, COSTS AND TIME.

This is certainly not a model that was designed to last. Companies don’t like it. But they feel stuck with it. So, they seek out the best IT security providers with the lowest margins. Then, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.

No one ever wants to admit that their security protocol is bad. And certainly no company wants to think it’s worse than the “other guys” down the street. Let me break it to you. If you have to think about it, it probably is.

No company’s security protocol is perfect, but rest assured that if any part of the scenario above sounded familiar, there is a better way.

WHY CLOUD BASED ENCRYPTION?

Forget about Johnny “Firewall” or the desk support guy at InfoSec. Encryption enhances the security of every message or file you send by scrambling the content. To encrypt a message, you need the right key, and you need that same key to de-crypt it as well. It is by far, the MOST effective way to protect your communication via encoded information, where the sender and the recipient hold the key to decipher data.

Encryption is a lot of a child who comes up with a secret code word or imaginary language to communicate with his friends.

But instead of sending a secret message to Jenny down the block, you’re sending secret messages between people within your own organization (approved eyes, of course). And in this case, the secret code is a lot, lot more complex.

If someone tries to pry but lacks the proper keys, all they will see is gibberish.

Without encryption, you are leaving your intellectual property exposed, behind flimsy firewalls and behind weak security protocol. The minute someone breaks through, your data is exposed – ready for all the world to see.

BOTTOM LINE?

If you’re not automating your processes in a way that makes you more secure without a Jonny, Tommy or Timmy coming to move some cords or add some wires, you have a serious encryption deficiency on your hands.

While ignorance might be bliss, data theft sure isn’t. Give eServe a call to learn more about our data encryption services, LMS education tools that come complete with encryption or our pre-encrypted content delivery platform.

Disagree? Let us know, and leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

[eservesolutions-blog]

Secure Your Online Content

Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has the right to those opinions. What everyone does not have a right to is YOUR opinion. With the amount of terrorism and hate-fueled strategies plaguing the world, it is only a matter of time before digital safety is the target. We already have national security breaches and leaked military information! So what is stopping hackers from easy access to your business files?

Eserve LLC secures content, management, and delivery, using tightly locked cloud computing software. Global content security is vital for any organization, big or small. Every file, document and media of any sort can be delivered using a protected platform designed specifically for the preservation of intellectual property.

  Secure Publishing

Get your works out to your target audience without the fear of losing your hard work and resources to a competitor. No matter the material you are publishing to the internet, it is YOURS and should stay that way! Global content security goes beyond just installing antivirus spyware.

There are important publishing precautions that can be taken to ensure your published material is secure; meaning it remains engaging without being directly tampered with and is not flagged due to malicious tag-a-longs or links.

  Encryption

Reduce the risk of data exposure by encrypting your intellectual property. All files can be transformed into illegible material to certain parties. Assign permissions the way you see fit and trust that your information is

  Online Safety

Content security is a two way street and affects more than just the business world. There are countless ways for online activity to be the gateway for nefarious activity. Scary, open-ended terms like:

Uncertified Websites

Any Sites enabling Online Predators & Cyberbullying

Privacy Clauses (that may not actually protect a thing!)

Social Networks

Online Gaming

These are just a few of the channels that negative digital agendas can play out and enter your system. Get the protections you need and your business deserves by reaching out to Eserve LLC today!

Secure Your Online Content was originally published on Global Content Security | Digital Document Management