Protecting the Value of Your Home During Long-Term Travel

If the title of this post appeals to you, you’ve got two things going for you: you’re a homeowner, and you’ve earned a long vacation. Any way you spin it, this means you work really hard. Whether you’re heading out for a few months on sabbatical, or you’re just using up all of your paid time off, I’m proud of you. Now let’s make sure you have your affairs in order before you take off. These six tips focus on the safety, protection and maintenance of your home over longer vacancies.

Install a security system

Empty homes are one of the most frequent burglary targets. Security systems can dispatch the police to your home, or just be loud enough to scare off the perpetrators. A standard security system will typically include sensors on all entry doors and easily accessed windows that react when the openings are no longer flush. You can even include motion-activated sensors.

With new technological advances, you can now monitor the security of your home right from your computer or smartphone. You can monitor cameras, control lighting and even sound an alarm, just with the touch of a finger. Many insurance companies will lower your homeowner’s insurance rates if you have a security system installed.

Get a safe

A fireproof safe is a great investment for anyone,  owner or renter. When you’re not home, a safe can protect all your important and valuables items, even through a disaster. Make sure to leave any important documents you have in the safe before you leave for long-term travel. These documents include the deed of your home, passports, birth certificates and more.

Think of anything valuable that you have in your home before you travel. Smaller valuable items – like jewelry or collectibles – can also be kept in the safe until your return.

Get another set of eyes

Having someone you trust stop by your house once or twice a week while you’re away is an excellent way to make sure nothing has gone wrong. Make sure the mail gets checked and the newspapers are brought inside. Encourage them to visit at different times each day so that there is no consistent time when a thief would know the house to be empty. Make sure this is a person you trust, as they will have access to your home. You also want to make sure the person you ask will follow through with what you’ve asked. A next door neighbor is typically the most convenient option, as they typically see your home often.

Have the yard work done

Asking someone to take care of your yard work – or even paying someone to do it – is the perfect way to make your home look lived in. Concealing your vacation is the best way to prevent intruders from taking interest in your house. An unshoveled driveway or an overgrown lawn are dead giveaways that a homeowner isn’t currently home.

If you are looking for a great person to take care of your simple yard work, considering hiring a neighborhood kid. Offering a small amount of cash, like $20, can end up being a great amount of relief when you’re on vacation and your home is safe.

If you’re worried about your yard or wood features getting destroyed while you’re gone, consider scheduling a lawn care or outdoor pest control service to stop by. Certain pests, like termites, cockroaches, bats and ants can cause serious damage or a different type of home invasion in a small amount of time. If you aren’t prepared for these pests before you leave, you could be faced with thousands of dollars in damage when you return home.

Reading about what pests you need to worried about and how to prevent them is the best way to make sure your home is safe. Many local pest control specialists can help you determine what type of prevention plan is best for you.

Don’t leave a mess

Cleaning your house prior to leaving is great for many reasons. First of all, you won’t have to deal with cleaning when you get back. That’s a great feeling. More importantly, when you clean the floors and surfaces and tidy everything before you leave you are more likely to be certain that you don’t have any bigger issues. You may find in your cleaning that you have an appliance or toilet that is leaking. That’s great to know before it destroys your flooring or leaks to other floors of your house.

Or maybe you have a little furry friend that has a tendency to hide “presents” for you throughout the house. Doing an overall clean before you leave will allow you to find those problematic presents and salvage the carpet while you can. Before long trips, I recommend hiring a professional carpet cleaner to come and do a pet odor or pet urine removal treatment. Pet odors can set into your carpet padding and become harder to remove the longer they set in. No one wants to come home to that kind of smell, and replacing carpets is not cheap.

Leaving a clean house also makes it easier to tell whether you’ve been robbed or not. My teenage daughter’s room always looks like it’s been torn apart and I never know if it’s because there was a burglary or if that’s really just the way she lives.

Unplug non-essential appliances

A great way to prevent electrical fires and other accidents is to unplug any type of electrical item that isn’t essential. There are typically many of these in a home, such as televisions, lamps, computers, microwaves and more. Any of these could turn into a fire hazard while you’re away.

Not only does this prevent fire, it protects your items. If there is an electrical surge or storm, your items will not be damaged by a power outage. And in turn, the consumption of less power will make your energy bill go down.

I’m sure these risks and disasters might not be what you want to read about before a vacation. But now you know how you can prepare for them so that you don’t have to worry at all during your trip, and a worry-free vacation is what everyone dreams of. You’ve worked hard to get the home that you have, don’t let your equity be in jeopardy just because you’re taking some well-deserved time away.

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If you’re planning to install a pool in your backyard, you’ve probably heard conflicting stories about the amount of value it will bring to your house. Some people claim that it will boost your home’s value and make it easier to sell when you eventually move. Others insist that it will be a black mark and make your home completely unsellable.

As it does in most arguments, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and it really depends on a lot of factors. If you’re looking to install a pool,  then there are several factors to take into consideration when you’re determining just how much value you can get from it. Depending on a variety of factors, a pool can boost the value of your home by as much as 7 percent. The original investment (about $30,000 to completely install, outfit, and fill a 600-square-foot pool, according to Houselogic.com) is only one part of the equation.

Climate

We’ve all heard the old adage about how the three most important factors in real estate are “location, location, location.” When you’re talking about homes with pools, this couldn’t be more true. It makes sense that a pool would bring less value in Minneapolis or Philadelphia than it would somewhere like San Diego or Miami. The climate dictates how much use a homeowner can get from the pool, which in turn affects how much buyers will be willing to pay.

Utility and Maintenance Costs

A pool costs more than just the initial installation expenses. It also costs money to keep things running smoothly. Pumps and heaters typically increase utility costs by about $100 a month, and chemicals typically run about $15–25 a week. In colder areas, the swimming season is shorter, so it doesn’t cost as much each year as it might in a hot zone.

Neighborhood Value

Whenever you perform any major renovations on your home, it’s always wise to take a look at the surrounding homes in your neighborhood. If you want to get full value out of the renovation, consistency is one of the most important factors. If you live in a neighborhood where very few homes have pools, you’re actually less likely to get full value from installing a pool. If, on the other hand, you live in a high-end neighborhood, and all of the surrounding homes have a pool, then a pool

Matching Styles

It may be tempting to use your pool as an opportunity to express your personal style, but before you install a pool that’s designed to be a portrait of your dog, remember that it could hurt its value. Future home buyers may not share your tastes. To get a good idea of what a home buyer might look for in a pool, take a look at some of the other pools in the neighborhood. A pool that matches the style of nearby homes with pools is generally a safer bet when you’re looking to sell.

Don’t be afraid to look a little bit beyond your specific neighborhood, of course. If you live in northeastern Texas, take a look at pool designs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a whole. It will give you a better idea of what is popular and more likely to sell in the future.

Personal Preference

After you’ve weighed all the facts and run the numbers, it’s time to make a decision. In the end, though, it all boils down to one question: is it worth it to you? Most experts recommend that the main reason for installing a pool should be the value you and your family expect to get from it. The factors listed above can have a profound impact on how much value you can get from your pool if you sell the home, but that’s not the only value involved.

Once you’ve looked at all the numbers, it all comes down to whether you want a pool and whether you can afford it. If you really want a pool and it fits within your budget, then go for it. Enjoy it for at least a few years, then make some of that money back when you sell it.

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The new year is often seen as a time of change or renewal. It is an opportunity to take a look at things in people’s lives or businesses and reevaluate them. One of the things you may take the time to look at and consider is your investments. There are new opportunities appearing all the time. Companies continue to release new products, government policies are enacted or updated, and industries evolve to match popular trends.

There are several industries with new developments on the horizon, and now might be the right time to invest in them. Here, we’ve gathered three industries to keep an eye on in the upcoming year:

Artificial Intelligence

Just a few years ago, “artificial intelligence” seemed like something that was only possible in science fiction series like Star Trek, Doctor Who, or maybe The Twilight Zone. Recently, however, several tech giants have started their own initiatives or formed partnerships in a serious effort to develop software that can think and make complex decisions on its own.

When investing in artificial intelligence, there are actually so many different initiatives in development that it’s necessary to narrow it down even further. For example, companies have already begun implementing in medical devices, mobile devices, and even cars as the race to create a self-driving vehicle continues. Two of the most popular devices sold this past Christmas were the Google Home and Amazon Echo smart speakers, both of which listen to user requests and attempt to interpret them in context. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry is predicted to grow faster than any other market in the field of AI in the near future, with AI being developed to help care for patients, enterprise imaging, and even discover new drugs.

Vaping/E-Cigarettes

Cigarettes and other traditional forms of tobacco have grown more and more unpopular over the years, and many smokers have been looking for an alternative. Many people have been turning to e-cigarettes and “vaping” as a different option, whether it is part of a lifestyle change or simply to avoid the stigma that traditional cigarettes bring with them. E-cigarettes and vape mods are battery-powered devices that hold cartridges of liquid nicotine, or “vape juice,” which the devices heat.

The industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with the number of retail outlets for these devices increasing to about 8,500 in April of 2016. According to an analysis from Wells Fargo, sales of the devices and supplies related to them got as high as $3.5 billion.

ESports

ESports, also known as competitive gaming, is a booming industry already, but in the next few years, it’s set to explode. According to research firm NewZoo, the eSports arena could surpass $1 billion dollars as soon as next year. Meanwhile, ESPN reported that there were 205 million people watching and playing eSports in 2014—enough that the eSports population would form the fifth largest country in the world, right behind Indonesia. Since then, the number has increased dramatically each year.

Streaming services like Twitch (owned by Amazon), YouTube, and Facebook Live have dedicated considerable resources to build up the eSports industry. Meanwhile, game developers like Blizzard, Valve, and Riot Games have promoted the competitive gaming scene by partnering with companies to hold world championship tournaments and even form complete leagues around their various products.

Traditional sports franchises have even begun investing in eSports. In September of 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers purchased a majority share in Team Dignitas. Meanwhile, that same week, Apex, a group which includes several NBA team owners as well as former NBA star Magic Johnson, purchased Team Liquid, a leading team across many different eSports.

Brands will also occasionally sponsor individual players, rather than teams. At the moment, professional gamers will seem to switch teams at the drop of a hat, and individual players carry more weight behind them than the teams they have joined. With upcoming initiatives like Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League, an attempt to make the competitive scene of their popular Overwatch first-person shooter more like traditional sports leagues, that may change. In the system Blizzard has proposed, players would sign more formal contracts and receive a steady salary and benefits rather than depending on the winnings from each event to pay the bills.

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There are plenty of benefits to being a college student, like the discounted tickets to museums, free access to the university gym and library, and all the other things you already know about. But most colleges offer a lot of free resources to help students succeed and just don’t advertise them well. Chances are, if you’re a college student, your college probably offers some of these benefits to you for free. If you’re interested, ask someone or look around your school’s website to find out.

Subscriptions to Online Services

Many colleges offer free access to paid online services. For example, your school might offer refunds for Course Hero costs. Course Hero is a great online resource that offers flashcards, tutors, and study aids for courses at many large universities. Course Hero has no cost for a basic subscription, which gives you access to basic flashcards and allows you to pay per question for help from a tutor. You have to pay for a premium membership, which allows you to download study documents and other great benefits. Fortunately, your school might offer refunds for premium subscription Course Hero costs. Other services you might have access to include online tech training through Lynda, or the ability to borrow things like cameras and laptops.

Tutoring Services

Your college wants you to learn as much as possible from your classes, so many colleges offer free tutoring services. Some hire students who have done well in courses in the past to tutor other students, free of charge. Most universities also offer services like a writing center, where you can take drafts of your class papers to be edited. You also may be able to find services for students with learning disabilities. A learning disabilities center might help you study for class, proctor exams for you so that you have more time to take the test, or just give you advice on getting organized.

 

Counseling

College is a stressful time, and there are many mental health issues that tend to pop up around the ages of 18-25. Because of that, many colleges offer free access to professional counselors. They can help you deal with anxiety, stress, relationship problems, and even the loneliness that comes from being far from home. There’s no shame in seeing a counselor, and they may be able to help you cope better and grow even more from your college experience.

Career Advice

You’re in college because you want to be better trained for a job, and your school probably wants to make sure that you can do that. Connect with your career services center early on, because they can help you throughout all four years. In your first year of school, the career services center may be able to help you narrow down what kind of degree you want. Many have career aptitude tests or interest inventories that can give you ideas of jobs to explore, or you can sit down with someone who will ask about your interests and goals and help you think about what job you might like. Career services centers might also help you find summer jobs or internships that will train you better for your career after college. In your final year at school, they’ll help you refine your resume, do practice job interviews, and connect with alumni or other professionals in your field. Networking is important for finding a job these days, so take advantage of the access your school has to alumni while you still can.

 

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Small business owners cannot afford to believe in the corporate lore of hiring the perfect salesperson who will become a miracle worker and spell instant success for the company. This is something that major corporations may try when they steal key sales executives from each other, but those are large-scale enterprises that can take risks and manage significant turnover rates. Owners of smaller companies cannot take such risks and thus they should establish a training program that will allow their newly hired sales staff to quickly achieve success. Developing the right sales culture is even more crucial for startup businesses since this will set the course for their initial growth phase.

With all the above in mind, here are a few training techniques that small business owners and managers should apply in their companies when they hire new sales staff:

Keeping Training Sessions Relaxed

Scheduling Monday mornings as the first day of formal training is an antique practice that does not conform to the modern world of sales. The reaction of candidates when they learn that training starts on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. can let managers know a little about the potential dedication and loyalty that their new hires may exhibit in the future. Saturday training can be planned as a day to wear casual attire and enjoy an informal lunch; the idea is to make the new sales team members feel very comfortable.

Using E-Learning Courses

New hires who are members of the Millennial Generation may not appreciate the traditional training sessions delivered by a corporate trainer in a conference room. Younger salespeople are bound to be more receptive to e-learning, a method that they have likely used in high school and college. With the recent technological push, many training tools, including quite a few medical sales training courses, these days feature e-learning components as well as classroom sessions, and they tend to be very effective.

Setting Goals and Give Rewards

The “always be closing” sales mantra is a lot more effective if actual incentives are attached. In other words, sales trainees learn better when there is a carrot at the end of the stick. If the training session features mock sales situations, and it should, the pretend buyer should ideally be the owner of the company, and she should determine which of the trainees excelled in the simulation. The best pitch should get a reward such as lunch with the manager or a gift certificate that can be redeemed at a gourmet foods market.

Using Success Stories

Case studies never go out of style; to this effect, stories about incredibly successful sales should be presented during sales training sessions. The case studies do not necessarily have to be in the same industry that the trainees will be operating in; however, it is very important to make sure that the story is engaging and that is has human interest elements.

Using Big Data

Younger salespeople tend to be very data-driven. Owners of small companies that utilize large data sets and analytics as part of their operations should share them with their new sales staff as soon as they start their training session. If the marketing department is using Big Data for branding and promotion, a marketing rep should explain to the sales trainees how the data sets and analytics are being utilized. Whenever possible, sales and marketing teams should work together and share opinions about what they find within Big Data.

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If you’re like most homeowners, even if you love your house, there’s probably something about it that you would like to change. Outdoor spaces, in particular, get neglected, but with summer fast approaching, now is the perfect time to do something about that. The warm weather means that we can spend more time outside, and it’s so much more pleasant to do so when you have a great outdoor living area to enjoy!

A renovation project may be just what your home needs to make it the perfect summertime hangout, so consider the following options:

A Water Feature

Just the sound of flowing water can have a soothing effect that makes it easier to forget just how hot you are. Installing a water feature outside can make your outdoor living areas much more inviting. If you put in a water feature, there’s an enormous variety to choose from. You could do something very simple, like a small fountain, or you could double down on the idea and install a larger fish pond, a full-sized fountain, or even a stream that winds across your backyard. Keep the terrain of your backyard in mind as you plot out where you will install it, particularly when dealing with bigger water features.

One of the main concerns to keep in mind with a water feature is the plumbing that will be required to keep the water feature functional. Factor those installations into your calculations both for the time it will take to complete and for the extra cost of materials and labor.

A Pool

A pool is definitely a bigger undertaking than a water feature, but it has its own special benefits. There are three different types of pools that you can choose from of various materials and prices. As a rule, as the price goes down, so does your ability to customize the pool. Fiberglass frames are the least expensive and take the shortest length of time to install; however, they also only come in a few shapes and layouts.

Vinyl pools are made by stretching vinyl sheets over metal frames. They are slightly more easy to customize than fiberglass frames, but not by much. Concrete pools, also referred to as “gunite,” are the most customizable, but they’re also the most expensive and take the longest to install. A concrete pool can be built in whatever shape you want, but it can be costly, and you’ll still have to wait for months for it to be completed.

If you know that you’ll get a lot of use out of a pool in your yard, do a simple search for “pool builders near me” and find a reputable company to make your dreams come true. When you design and install your pool, base your decision on your particular needs. Each pool is different, so let yours become an expression of your personal style.

An Outdoor Fireplace

An outdoor fireplace can be a great focal point for your yard when you have guests over. Set up a comfortable seating area around it to encourage conversation. When the weather is clear, it can be a nice treat to read outside by a warm fire while a cool breeze blows through.

A fire pit can be a nice alternative to a fireplace. You can gather around the fire on cool summer nights and just chat with friends or roast marshmallows and hot dogs together. You can set up a simple fire pit, basically just a place to burn wood, or you can create a natural gas fire pit. In the second case, remember that you will need to be able to connect the fire pit to your natural gas line.

In addition to the relaxation that takes place around a fire, this type of installation in your yard can help relieve you of everyone’s least favorite backyard pest. Summer can bring mosquitoes out in droves, but the smoke of the fire helps keep them at bay. If you’re having a bigger issue than what a firepit can remedy, hire someone to come do a special lawn treatment for mosquito problems to get rid of the buggers at all hours of the day.

Wood-burning fire pits have a classic feel and mostly just require an open area to ensure that nothing else catches on fire. A gas fire pit is more expensive and you’ll very likely have to run some additional piping to feed the fire.  Maintenance is much easier, though, and rather than struggling with traditional fire-lighting methods, you can usually turn them on with just a flick of a switch.

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Technology can dramatically change the way that individuals, organizations and corporations function. Just look around you and will see the enormous that technology has had on the world in the past twenty years. With this huge shift, it is imperative that as an investor you catch this technological wave if you haven’t already. Here are 5 tech stocks that should be in every portfolio.

Making Tech Profits

Stock analysts like to place certain companies on lists, but you must ask yourself – “How can I make money investing in said stock?” In the 1990s, there were a number of firms who were instrumental in helping the World Wide Web function properly. If you invested in these, before they became large, then you could make good money. Here are a couple of established tech stocks, along with some newbies.

1. Alibaba

In the 1800s, England ruled the world. In the 1900s, it was the United States. Could it be predicted that China will be the dominant country in this century?

China is the “factory of the world,” establishing high growth rates due to a cheap labor force, few regulations and hard work. Alibaba (BABA) is a great Chinese eCommerce technology play. The firm already has a market capitalization of $220 billion and has enjoyed a 55% spike in revenues during one quarter.

“Forrester Research” predicts compound annual growth rates of 19.9% until 2019 for Alibaba. Which Western firm can compete with such high growth rates?

2. Apple

The iPhone continues to lead the smartphone industry. With selfies, videos and Siri, the brand gives people a fun way to go about their everyday activities. The Apple (AAPL) brand used to be as consistent in making profits as McDonald’s.

After a slight misstep, the Apple stock was driven down by 17%. Therefore, you can now own Apple for a cheaper price. Buy low and stick with this well-known global brand.

3. Google

Not only do you search online using Google (GOOG), but you can also purchase the brand’s Lens and self-driving cars. And, now the #1 search engine is even entering the robotics industry, purchasing eight “robotics or artificial intelligence firms.”

Google Analytics help guide how many people will design their websites. With its inside knowledge about keyword searches, Google has a decided advantage. It remains a tech industry leader.

4. Samsung

Another great Asian tech stock is Samsung (SSNLF), which has some of the top smart phones, lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, chips and flash memory devices. The firm is also expanding its reach, by investing in startups.

Samsung has invested $150 million into early stage startups, allowing it to review the latest technology. Down the road, they will have the inside path to consider possible mergers & acquisitions (M&A). They are also earning higher returns on their funds.

5. Yaskawa Electric

Already, robots have replaced humans in many automobile manufacturing factories. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates that “robots perform roughly 10% of all manufacturing tasks, but BCG sees that jumping to about 25% by 2025.” A robot does not need to take breaks to smoke from its e cigarette starter kit. That is a key advantage for some companies.

Jerry Kaplan wrote the book, Humans Need Not Apply, where he discussed the “Brave New World” of robotics. The “dark factory” is one where it is 100% robotic – no need for HVAC, lighting or other human creature comforts.

Robots don’t need to take breaks, eat food or be paid. Simple upkeep, maintenance and the initial cost is all that is needed with mechanical beings.

A pure tech play for robotics would be Yaskawa Electric (YASKY). Already, robot sales have increased to 225,000 units in 2014, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Yaskawa Electric has approximately 34% of the market with a market cap of $2.8 billion. Companies are sure to cut costs, by using more robots for productivity.

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It’s always difficult to replace an employee who has left your company. When they’ve worked together for a while, team members are often able to develop an efficient workflow that works for the group. Most employers would prefer that employees stick with them for the long haul, but the fact of the matter is that they don’t, particularly the younger generation that makes up a large part of the modern workforce. According to research, as many as 70 percent of Gen-Y workers, also known as Millennials, leave their first jobs within two years.

When someone leaves, it disrupts that flow, and it can cause the team to struggle for a while. Even hiring a replacement doesn’t always solve the problem. It’s not just a matter of filling an empty space. New employees don’t come ready-made, “fresh out of the box.” They generally take some time to adjust to the new work environment, and your team will of course need to adjust to the new team member as well.

Sometimes, a new hire will have some trouble integrating into the team, which can cause productivity to suffer. We’ve gathered together a few tips for teams bringing on new members to help ease the integration process:

1. Be Clear About the Requirements From the Beginning

This goes back further than just the new employee’s first day on the job. Make sure that the job description you post gives an accurate description of the job requirements. All too often, workers accept a job only to find shortly after they begin working that they’ve signed on for something completely different than they expected. Whether you’re posting a job yourself or hiring a recruitment firm to do the heavy lifting for you, make sure that the job is accurately represented. Recruitment process outsourcing is no excuse for pulling a bait-and-switch on the employee, and doing so can have negative consequences in the end.

Once the employee starts on your team, make sure your expectations for each project are clear as well. Remember that a new employee doesn’t have the benefit of working within your team’s structure before, so he or she can’t be expected to understand how you handle each circumstance. Give clear instructions in the beginning to make sure that they understand. They can’t be blamed for not knowing something unless you tell them.

2. Invite Questions

Questions are one of the best ways to learn, so make sure that your new employee knows that questions are welcome. New workers are generally reluctant to ask too many questions, anyway. If you’re unable to answer a question immediately, let the employee know, but also let them know that you will get back to them. If you need to refer them to someone else, do so, but not as a way to simply avoid the question entirely. If it seems like you are avoiding their questions, the new worker will be less likely to ask more questions in the future.

Don’t just settle for telling them that they can ask questions, either. Actively invite them. Ask them what’s working, what’s not working, what their biggest challenges are, and what they think could be done better. By asking questions, you will open the doors of communication and encourage them to ask for clarification when they need it.

3. Train Them With Your Tools

Your team uses a wide variety of tools for communication, scheduling, workflow management, and more. Don’t assume that a new employee, even one who has shown himself to be clever, will understand immediately how they work. Train your new hires on each of the tools that you use. This training doesn’t need to be a week-long ordeal; it may just be a matter of sitting down with them for a few minutes to explain each tool and how it fits into your work process. Just don’t assume that they already know. Even if a tool is common in the business, they may have used an alternative at their previous job.

4. Provide a Mentor

It’s difficult to fit in at any new position, and having someone around to show the ropes can be a valuable asset. A peer from the team can help the new employee to understand the culture and learn the informal “rules.” Assign a team member who has good social skills and is genuinely motivated to see the new hire succeed. And yes, that means that this should be a formal assignment. Doing so will help to ensure that the mentor sticks to their role and the employee isn’t permitted to slip through the cracks.

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Hospitals have traditionally safeguarded digital information so that patients, vendors, and shareholders will have the peace of mind that they deserve. Unfortunately, in today’s world, there are a lot of cybersecurity challenges facing IT administrators. In order for hospitals to stay ahead of the threats, many of their business administrators have turned to IT staff that can think outside of the box when it comes to threats facing their facility. Here are some of the top cybersecurity threats facing hospitals today:

 

Patient Records Theft:

Around 10 percent of the people that live in large metropolitan areas have HIV. In the past, health authorities and others shared their personal information so that they could track the threat of HIV spreading. The problem for hospitals has been that hacker consultants trying to create their own databases that track HIV positive people cultivated people that work at hospitals in order to try and steal patient information. The net result for someone who did get their information stolen was trouble at work because their employers didn’t want to share a group health plan with someone who would have outrageous medical costs.

California finally passed a law that levies steep fines on hospital systems that have a data breach due to internal staffers getting involved in looking at patient data when they are not their personal care team. Of course, although that curbed theft in California, the hackers moved their confidence game to Arizona, Oregon, and Washington to take advantage of hospital systems that were multi-state and could potentially access California data from outside California. For administrators, the best defense has been creating sophisticated permissions in their databases that only allow the people that should have access to view records.

 

Accounting Woes

Another problem that hospitals can face is a cyber attack on their accounting systems. Over the past two decades, many hospitals have developed internal database systems that integrate accounting with the daily activities that go on so that the costs flow directly to the financial people handling the books. The problem with that is that if you have a hospital with 300 computers, you end up with 300 access points for a hacker to try and use. The current trend, therefore, is to utilize virtual bookkeeping services. Online accounting systems that are provided as a service by a vendor are much safer because they are hosted in a world-class security data center. Only the accounting people from your hospital system are able to access records. There is also a large cost savings because your IT department no longer has to design internal security for your financial records.

 

Wireless Thieves

Several years ago, a Hewlett-Packard facility banned the use of wireless devices in their building. Part of the reason was that from outside their building and on other people’s property, they were getting hit by up to 100 local hacking attempts at any given time. For hospitals, the idea that there are that many hackers interested in gaining access should give them pause. It does no good to have all of your drug infusers networked wirelessly to a console in the pharmacy if your pharmacy application is vulnerable to attack from outside. The most common answer is to have your IT administrators work carefully with your vendors to ensure that your software access points are bulletproof.

And even if your software is secure, make sure you design your wireless system well. A few years ago at the Black Hat hackers conference, several of the world’s top hackers were hacked by wireless systems hackers that were never caught. Along those lines, there is also an application that has been sold that pulls all 7 layers of the physical network and un-encrypts the data by getting access through a different layer. When used wirelessly, it can wreak havoc.

There are many cybersecurity challenges facing hospitals today. By leveraging online software as a service through secure data centers and tightening access with sophisticated permissions and solid planning, IT administrators can stay ahead of hackers seeking to steal data from their hospital.

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Trading stocks involves finding good corporations with solid management teams, products and a strategy to make ample profits. The entire process of analyzing how these businesses fit into the global economy is being revolutionized with a number of powerful technologies. These 5 technologies change how the world is viewed, how the companies are valued and how the stocks are traded.

Faster, Smarter & Anywhere Money Making

Successful stock traders have key advantages over others. Although technology can’t predict the future, the huge technological advancements of the 21st Century with its digital currency revolution has allowed regular people to have a much better chance of predicting financial outcomes.

Technical traders want to be able to respond faster than others and have a variety of technologies to make this a reality (smart phone apps and HFT). These technologies allow people to succeed anywhere they are, just like the vape box mod. You don’t need to have a large vaping set up at home. You can accomplish your goals on-the-go. Together, these are five of the technologies, impacting the stock market.

1. Smartphone Apps

Smartphone apps allow you to trade stocks, bonds or Forex on a remote Caribbean beach while enjoy Piña Coladas. The best financial apps allow you to receive alerts, view charts and execute trades remotely.

2. High-Frequency Trading (HFT)

The top global banks have been continuously profitable for many, many quarters. Their secret? High-Frequency Trading (HFT) algorithms. The top traders can execute their trades in microseconds with HFT. Investopedia has reported that between “2009 and 2010, anywhere from 60% to 70% of U.S. trading was attributed to HFT.” HFT has become the norm.

3. Siri Trades

Did you know that Siri (the Apple artificial intelligence) can make restaurant and airline reservations? It is becoming downright scary. Of course, Siri might be used for trading stocks, sometime soon.

As cute as it is to ask Siri questions, some might also ask her for stock advice. Her picks would probably be better than throwing at a dart board.

4. Is BitCoin Bad?

What used to have a bad reputation has suddenly become an important commodity. Have you figured it out? Many top investors have decided to take this route within the market. Nothing has really changed with digital blockchain currencies, like BitCoin, except now this elite 1% own shares. You might want to get on board the BitCoin train before it leaves the station.

5. Web Bot is Good

Much of Western society is about psychology. The most successful stock traders understand the “herd mentality.” The Web Bot is an accumulation of analytics tracking keywords on the World Wide Web. It actually makes predictions, using the results of psycho history.

The concept is similar to Google Analytics. You can look up how often certain keywords are used online. When you do an overall analysis, you might be able to find hidden trends.

This is also how marketing works. Corporations already have a lot of information, accumulated from cookies placed on your home computer. This geo-location information allows them to recommend videos on YouTube, restaurants in your town or car insurance for your new SUV.

Some have argued that the WebBot (created by Clif High) has actually made a couple of successful predictions already. How similar will 2018 be like 2008? What does the WebBot say?

Combined Technology Provides Advantage

By combining all of these technologies, stock traders can gain a distinct advantage over the competition. The billionaires are already using these technologies to increase their speed, knowledge and ubiquitous stock trading acumen. The astute will invest in these technologies to level the playing field.

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