Cloud computing has leveled the playing field for small businesses, in that the cost for services is a fraction of what it used to be. The cloud refers to a centralized location in the Internet where data is stored, making it accessible at any time, from any place or from any device.

Phishing is using electronic communication to gain access to usernames, passwords or credit card information. It has been around long enough, and technology changes so quickly that we may be quick to dismiss it as a concern of last year. This complacency is used to a hackers’ advantage; the email content is creatively targeted to the season and your industry.

Target has confirmed, along with the Secret Service, that over 40 million credit cards have been compromised since Black Friday.

CEO Greg Steinhafel confirmed Thursday morning that a data breach had taken place, even though rumors of the breach have been going on since Monday.

The importance of internet security is well known. However, safety and security on the internet are like a dense, confusing smoke screen – a hazy area that is difficult to see through and confusing to understand. We know that there are dangers in using the internet, and often accept the risks blindly.

Moving an employee from the physical business site to a remote desktop in their home has many advantages. Some major corporations have nixed the option entirely, where others are embracing it wholeheartedly. At some point, each business must weigh the pros and cons and choose what is best for their growth and survival.

For years, Microsoft Security Essentials (also known as Windows Defender) was one of the most powerful antivirus programs available. However, Microsoft has lessened its grasp on the program throughout the years, and its ability to perform because of this neglect has fallen.

Just yesterday, Adobe announced that it had been the target of a successful hacking attempt that put millions of accounts in danger of breach.

Adobe’s Brad Arkin, security director, explained that not only were accounts stolen and compromised, the hackers were also trying to gain access to all of Adobe’s products illegally.

An informational technology employee or contractor is hired to oversee and manage the technology of your business. This specialized area is critical, but may not be well understood, except by the individual in that field. A lot of business leaders are experts in their industry, and depend on the IT specialist to make the technology side of their business flow smoothly.

Attacks on web users are becoming all too common. Kaspersky Lab’s senior security researcher, Fabio Assolini, says “[The user] needs to know that an extension can access everything you do in the browser, all the data, passwords and the websites visited.

Does your office battle with organization? Does paperwork get lost going from one person to another mysteriously, only to show up weeks later in a pile you didn’t know existed? While cloud services won’t solve every problem you’ll ever have, it’s certainly become an essential tool in small and large businesses across the world.