Small business owners have giant to-do lists. But too many of those owners are letting their cybersecurity planning fall to the bottom of those never-ending lists. It’s a risky move that jeopardizes everything they have fought to build, since <a href="https://www.smb-gr.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017_top_10_final.pdf">as many as 60 percent of hacked</a> small-to-midsize businesses go out of business after six months.
The move is particularly baffling in our era of unprecedented cyber attacks. <a href="https://www.smb-gr.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017_top_10_final.pdf">Almost 50% of small businesses</a> have experienced a cyber attack. The global cost of cybercrime has rocketed by <a href="https://www.accenture.com/t20170926T072837Z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-61/Accenture-2017-CostCyberCrimeStudy.pdf">23% over the past year to reach $11.7m per business</a>. Hackers understand the destruction they can bring to small businesses, thanks to often weak cybersecurity protection and a lack of cash to cover the damage. That’s why they keep penetrating – <a href="https://www.smb-gr.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017_top_10_final.pdf">more than 70 percent of cyber attacks target small businesses</a>.
The data breaches often happen to companies with excellent physical defenses in place. They lock their doors at night, and often have installed an alarm system or an armed guard. They don’t blab about trade secrets when they meet with competitors, and they ask employees to sign non-competes. So why don’t they take the same protective measures when it comes to making sure their data remains for their eyes only? 
The reasons are as plentiful as they are perplexing.
The invisible nature of a hack makes it seem less threatening to some small business owners – the idea of armed thieves stealing computers or other materials in the middle of the night seems more frightening than a hacker tapping away on a computer across the world. Really, though, cyber attackers have threatening advantages that armed robbers don’t. A band of thieves has to have enough time to beat physical defenses, a getaway plan to transport bulky material, and faces a huge risk of getting caught thanks to security cameras or witnesses. A hacker can infiltrate a system in seconds from anywhere, not leave a trace, and go undetected until they make the decision to reveal they’ve snagged all of a business’s information. 
Additionally, if physical material does get stolen, most small business owners are at least somewhat protected financially via their insurance plans. But no insurance plan can stop eyeballs around the world from viewing the information flow that a cyber attack lets loose. 
Some small business owners recognize that they need a plan in place, but don’t understand the complex, fast-paced world of cybersecurity enough to pick the full protection that they need. Online attackers are constantly honing their craft, creating new, innovative ways to swipe data from beneath our eyes. In the first quarter of 2017, <a href="https://www.gdatasoftware.com/blog/2017/04/29666-malware-trends-2017">new malware emerged every 4.2 seconds</a>. Only professionals whose sole job it is to stay one step ahead of them can keep up. 
The cybersecurity team at HP are those professionals. HP understands that every PC decision is a security decision, and has earned a reputation as the leader in secure and manageable PCs. That’s partly because the company knows that breaches come from every angle, and that attackers trying they can’t get in through entry point. That’s why HP equips devices with comprehensive and multi-layered protection. 
One of HP’s security strengths is recognizing the need for endpoint security built directly into each piece of hardware that they sell. It’s a self-healing first layer of defense that not only protects the hardware in an instance of physical theft, it also identifies and shuts down any malware before it has a chance to strike. If that stubborn malware continues to try, the company’s Sure Start, Sure Run and Sure Recover systems make sure that an employee won’t lose any time or work in the midst of a thwarted breach. The PC simply detects what is going wrong within various layers of the system, and puts it back to its’ original working state.
And that same employee doesn’t have to concern themselves with trying to learn all the attacker’s tricks – HP’s Sure Click, Sure View Gen 2, and Multi-Factor Authenticate Gen2 do all the work for them by protecting them against malicious websites, attachments, or visual attacks, as well as making sure that they’re the only ones who can access that device. In short, instead of slapping a single blanket layer of protection across a business’s system, HP is making sure that every single one of that business’s devices is armed with a line of defense built to be resilient against an attack from any angle.
Too often, small business owners are forced to build their defense only after a catastrophic offensive cyber strike. In the midst of the loss, they need to hobble together fortification with plays including attempting to rebuild customer trust, dealing with the fallout of competitors having access to their information, and finally installing the protection plan they should have had all along. It’s a move that often breaks the bank.  
Now more than ever, it is time to join the ranks of the smart small business owners who understand that they can’t wait to protect their information. Buying HP devices ensures that they have a solid defense in place, one that even the stealthiest offensive attackers can’t penetrate. HP carries their burden of cyber security, freeing up time and money that the company can use to check off all those other items on their to-do lists.
Learn more at <a href="http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/solutions/computer-security.html">hp.com</a>

Cyber attacks are on the rise. Are you protected?

The Invisible Nature of Hacking and How it Affects Small Business.

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Small businesses are more likely to be the victim of cyber attacks and hacking. Once they happen, it's hard to get that data back in control.

The Invisible Nature of Hacking and How it Affects Small Businesses

More than 70% of attacks target small businesses. Are you ready?

Since <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/watson_and_crick.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Watson and Francis Crick</a> unlocked they mystery of DNA&#8217;s double-stranded helix in the early 1950&#8217;s, human understanding of genetics has grown by leaps and bounds. Less than 50 years after winning the Nobel Prize for their work, the ideas Crick and Watson put forth lead to the completion of the Human Genome Project (in 2003), giving scientists a remarkably clear picture of how humanity is constructed.
Now, 15-years later, technology has advanced to the point where anyone can swab the inside of their mouths and, for a nominal fee, gain access to their own genetic code. But to paraphrase renowned 20th century mathematician <a href="http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Ian_Malcolm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Malcolm</a>, just because we can doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean we should, at least not without first performing our due diligence.
Before you jump on the DNA bandwagon, it&#8217;s important to stop and think about how your information will be used, and what control you have over your own DNA once you send in a sample. For example, is your DNA test kept private, or can it be sold to third parties? How secure is your data from hackers? Can an insurance company gain access? How about law enforcement? Are you able to <a href="https://futurism.com/home-dna-genomic-data">have the sample destroyed?</a>
These are just a few of the questions people should be asking before they allow a third party access to their very essence. Luckily, the following companies clearly answer these privacy concerns, and more, on their websites. So while it&#8217;s up to you to research which test is right for you, the following list will give you a nice head start.
<h1>Ancestry</h1>
<figure id="attachment_140875" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-140875" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/ancestry.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Ancestry.com, the world&#8217;s largest for-profit genealogy company, turned researching family histories into a billion-dollar business. For its next act, the company is betting that consumers will be as interested in genetics as they are in genealogy. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s now offering a detailed DNA test capable of tracing your genetic ancestry to &#8220;over 350 regions—sometimes down to a city.&#8221; Based on the results, the company is also able to offer possible ancestral migration patterns, DNA matches to living relatives, and an estimate of your potential ethnic makeup.
<a href="https://www.ancestry.com/dna/#faqSection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As far as security is concerned</a>, Ancestry.com uses &#8220;industry standard security practices to store your DNA sample, your DNA test results, and other personal data you provide.&#8221; As an added precaution, your DNA information is stored &#8220;without your name or other common identifying information.&#8221; You also retain ownership of your DNA data, and can chose to have it deleted at any time.
<h1><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102">23andMe</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140874" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102"><img class="size-full wp-image-140874" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/23andme.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Based in Mountain View CA, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8288732-12917102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23andMe</a> takes its name from the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in a typical human cell. And like our previous entry, it offers a detailed genetic ancestry test which can trace your roots back to a 150 different geographic regions. But the company also offers a variety of reports that examine your health – including your risk for certain diseases, your carrier status for inherited conditions, and an analysis of other genetic traits.
In order to keep your information private, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23andMe assigns</a> a randomized customer identification number to your DNA sample and stores it in a &#8220;physically separate computing environment&#8221; from your personal information (name, credit card, etc.). You also control whether or not your saliva sample is placed in storage after the test is conducted, and whether your account is visible to other 23andMe members. The company will not share your results with third parties without your consent, including insurance companies or employers. It will also not share your information with the government unless legally compelled to do so with a valid subpoena, warrant or order.
<h1><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217">Helix</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140873" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217"><img class="size-full wp-image-140873" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/helix.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Our next entry is <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8288732-13475217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helix</a>, which also offers genealogical and health-related insights from genetic testing. However, what separates this service from competitors is the fact that it offers an &#8220;entire marketplace of products&#8221; of customized DNA research via third party vendors. As a result, users are able to &#8220;unlock more DNA,&#8221; which results in 100-times more data than your average at-home test. Helix and its partners then use this information to provide &#8220;more actionable insights,&#8221; such as how you can best optimize your workouts to lose weight, or &#8220;which wines taste best on [your] palate.&#8221;
All of Helix&#8217;s third-party vendors are required to &#8220;<a href="https://www.helix.com/pages/privacy-and-policy-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet the standards that [Helix] established</a> when it comes to privacy, security, control, and experience.&#8221; The company also claims it will not &#8220;sell or share your DNA data without your permission.&#8221; That said, according to the Helix website, each partner sets its own policies for its products, so it&#8217;s up to users to do their own research before purchasing.
And as far as legal matters are concerned, &#8220;Helix evaluates law enforcement and other legal requests for data on a case-by-case basis.&#8221; If a request from law enforcement is made, the company&#8217;s policy is to notify the user &#8220;unless [they] are legally prohibited from doing so.&#8221;
<h1><a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8">Embark</a></h1>
<figure id="attachment_140871" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8"><img class="size-full wp-image-140871" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/embark.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash</figcaption></figure>
Last but not least, we have <a href="http://shrsl.com/18qa8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embark</a>, a company that uses one of humanity&#8217;s greatest achievements to offer insights on man&#8217;s best friend. The test looks at 200,000 genetic markers to determine your dog&#8217;s breed, traits, and other useful information. More than a simple vanity project for purebred breeders, Embark allows everyday pet owners information on nearly 165 genetic health conditions, so that preventive measures can be taken. This could lead to smaller vet bills down the road, and more importantly, a longer, happier life for your four-legged friend.
And if your dog&#8217;s genetic privacy is something you value, you&#8217;ll be happy to know that <a href="https://embarkvet.com/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embark will never share identifying information without your explicit permission</a> (although the dog&#8217;s consent isn&#8217;t mentioned). And while the company does share aggregated, non-identifying information for research purposes, you are able to opt out.
Based on the popularity of genetic testing kits, there&#8217;s no shortage of people interested in using DNA to gain insights into their health and family history. In fact, the consumer genetic testing market is expected to grow into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2017/may/25/dna-testing-we-created-the-market-for-what-we-do-living-dna-dnafit-geneu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$340 million industry by 2022</a>. But as mentioned above, trusting a third party with your DNA should not be a matter of faith. It&#8217;s important to understand how your DNA will be used, and who will have access. And while it&#8217;s ultimately up to you to decide what service to use, if any, the companies listed above have clearly stated their commitment to maintaining the privacy of their users and remaining transparent about how they use your DNA.
Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner. We may collect a small commission on items purchased through this page. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

Four genetic tests that will unlock your DNA while respecting your privacy

These DNA testing companies can tell you a lot about your genetic history. But what's the best way to make sure your DNA info will stay private?

Four Genetic Tests That Will Unlock Your DNA While Respecting Your Privacy

Keep control of your chromosomes.

While you were reeling from the <a href="https://futurism.com/abuse-facebook-data-cambridge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal</a>, the U.S. government quietly passed a piece of legislation that has far bigger implications for your data.
The law is called the <a href="https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/6ba62ebd-52ca-4cf8-9bd0-818a953448f7/ALB18102%20(1).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clarifying Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act</a>. It&#8217;s basically an update to the <a href="https://it.ojp.gov/PrivacyLiberty/authorities/statutes/1285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)</a>, a series of laws that regulate how U.S. law enforcement officials can access data stored overseas. Congress passed those laws in 1986, and both the <a href="http://www.itic.org/dotAsset/3/f/3f626c7e-f34d-42d6-a86b-4cf61b02ef3c.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. government</a> and <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2018/02/27/a-problem-congress-should-solve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major tech companies</a> believe they are ill-equipped to handle today&#8217;s electronic communications.
Up until last week, the U.S. could only access data stored overseas through <a href="https://www.mlat.info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mutual legal-assistance treaties (MLATs</a>). With a MLAT, two or more nations put in writing exactly how they are willing to help each other with legal investigations. The Senate votes on each MLAT, and it must receive a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Treaties.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-thirds approval</a> to pass.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V47OFHS3gYE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The CLOUD Act gives the U.S. an <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/03/new-backdoor-around-fourth-amendment-cloud-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alternative to MLATs</a>.
Through the CLOUD Act, U.S. law enforcement officials at any level, from local police to federal agents, can force tech companies to turn over user data regardless of where the company stores the data.
The CLOUD Act also gives the executive branch the ability to enter into &#8220;executive agreements&#8221; with foreign nations, which could allow each nation to get its hands on user data stored in the other country, no matter the hosting nation&#8217;s privacy laws. These agreements don&#8217;t require congressional approval.
Politicians introduced the CLOUD Act to the Senate and House of Representatives on February 6. Instead of voting on it as its own legislation, however, they folded it into a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/21/politics/omnibus-bill/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1.3 trillion catch-all bill necessary to keep the government open</a>. Because the larger bill passed, so too do all the measures within it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
But guess what? Congress can’t vote to reject the CLOUD Act, because it just got stuck onto the Omnibus, with no prior legislative action or review. <a href="https://t.co/8b6W08goXm">https://t.co/8b6W08goXm</a>
&mdash; Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/976654222879019008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In short, this should matter to you because the executive branch now has a lot more control over who can access your data.
Let’s say law enforcement officials in Canada want to get at your data. The Canadians can enter into an agreement with the U.S. President, the State Department, or the Attorney General granting Canada permission to directly contact Google, Facebook, or any other tech company to request access to data stored in the U.S. By skipping the step in which Canada sends every request through the U.S. government, both governments would the save time and money it would need to respond to MLAT requests.
The CLOUD Act could also keep American citizens safer. According to a 2013 <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report by the President&#8217;s Review Group</a>, MLAT requests take an average of 10 months to fill, and by then, the data they are requesting could prove obsolete. Through the CLOUD Act, law enforcement officials can now gain far quicker access to data stored overseas. That could help them prosecute criminals or even prevent crimes before they happen.
Of course, though, there&#8217;s a trade off: your <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/02/cloud-act-dangerous-expansion-police-snooping-cross-border-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital privacy</a> protections. For now at least, legislators have determined that citizens&#8217; safety is more important than claims to digital privacy.
Then again, <a href="https://mashable.com/2014/06/05/edward-snowden-revelations/#T_EtDMqH6PqF">we&#8217;ve seen what can happen</a> when security supplants privacy. And it doesn&#8217;t ultimately leave citizens feeling safer.

The government is giving away your right to digital privacy.

Everything you need to know about the CLOUD Act

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Congress just passed the CLOUD Act, legislation that controls how the U.S. can gain access to data stored in foreign nations.

/Data Protection

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Four Genetic Tests That Will Unlock Your DNA While Respecting Your Privacy

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Everything You Need to Know About the CLOUD Act

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