In today's "instant gratification" society — in which heightened customer expectations and 24x7 accessibility demands really burden small business — little time remains for much else. Small businesses often don't have the resources or inclination to track the latest computer news, security threats, or even common break/fix tips.

For the last two weeks, I have been using our social media postings to support Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  It became very clear to me last year, the tech world had a huge connection to the ugly reality of Domestic Violence, from the dark side of GPS usage to stalk victims, to the bright side of Safety Apps for quicker responses to a victim in crisis.

For this week's posts on Social Media, I have been focusing on Business Continuity, yet again.  There are several reasons for this, the main being that Tuesday here in California was The Great California Shake Out-an observance developed by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to remind California residents of the importance of earthquake preparedness.

The ever-evolving world of technology presents a very unique challenge to those of us presented with the stewardship of navigating corporations through the sometimes choppy waters of Cloud Computing and Cyber Security.  It is our job, primarily and most importantly, to put our corporate client's mind at ease.

Oh my goodness...!

Not too long ago, I wrote a "Social Engineering" blog that I thought was pretty detailed.  It discussed different types of "Social Engineering" in depth; warning signs and what steps to take if you feel you've been victimized.

It truly is the Wild West out there.

With such a vast selection of apps available to download, it's hard to decide what to choose, or even know everything that IS available.

So, I decided to research the top 5 Smart phone FREE apps that are really not being used...but should be!  These 5 apps are available for both iOS and Android.

If you, or one of your staff has a little computer knowledge, you may think to yourself, "Why do I need to outsource my I.T. services?  I have that covered here..."

In this case, a little knowledge can be dangerous...

Truly, I compare this thought process to being brought up on criminal charges.

I don't normally open up an article with statistics...but the following are fascinating, I believe, and really speak loudly about current events in the world of cybersecurity...

Concern about identity theft rates slightly higher than fears of job and healthcare loss.

As in anything in life, there is good...but, unfortunately, there is also bad.  So it is in the "tech" world.  There have been so many "lightening fast" advancements in this industry..that definitely is the good part, but the "law" has had trouble keeping up with these advancements.

So...how many times have you used THAT  phrase?  I myself am guilty of using it once or twice...or several times.  But, in the world of I.T. "doing it yourself", while seemingly sounding like a good idea financially, may be costing you money in the long run.