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.

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.

Did you know a whopping 91% of us own some sort of cell phone?  Of that 91%, approximately 64% of us are using a Smart Phone. It's so convenient, isn't it?  We are virtually connected...anytime...anywhere.

Interesting statistics, but how is this relevant?  Because a lot of "On-Line" activity is being conducted via cell phone, that leaves us susceptible to cyber criminal activity on our cell phones as well as our computers.

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.

In researching the information for this article, it occurred to me that quite a few folks still had a limited understanding of what "The Cloud" or "Cloud Computing" really was.  So we'll start off with a basic definition...

In the simplest terms, "Cloud Computing" means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive.

I am often surprised how the smallest of technological troubles often times create quite an issue with time management and of course, with stress management...I.E. non efficiency.  None of us have time to waste...yet, I confess, I am one of those people who get caught up trying to figure out a minor problem and waste an inordinate amount of time doing so, or plug along executing a procedure, when there exists a more efficient way of accomplishment.

Recently, a friend sent me the following E-mail from Senator Barbara Boxer (D) California...
Dear Friend:
We recently learned of a major data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that may have put the personal information of millions of current and former federal employees at risk.

Hitting the road with your computer opens the doors to a whole world of potential security problems, both physical and software-based, but don't worry. They're all manageable. Remember, the weakest link in your security will usually be you—as long as you don't put yourself, your computer, or its data at undue risk, you should be just fine even if you have to work from a library or a coffee shop, or connect to whatever Wi-Fi you find to get some work done.