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        Flexibility is the biggest selling point that we have over our larger rivals. We give our clients the freedom needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced business world, organisations say to us that they often see higher quality work from independent consultants like us, this reason is the primary motivator when choosing us over a big firm. This means that we have the same skills and experience as the big firms, with added freedom and flexibility to let us focus and resolve client requirements.

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        Happiness hacks

         

         

        16 ways to add More Hours to the Day

        A twenty five hour day isn’t coming any time soon with Covid19. Twenty four is all that we get. However, with a bit of skill you can squeeze out a couple more hours to add to your day from personal and work time. Here’s how to have more :

        1. Work in blocks.
        2. Learn how to say no.
        3. Cut down on TV/Netflix.
        4. Plan you week in advance.
        5. Limit your social media time.
        6. Don’t be busy just to be busy.
        7. Don’t do everything…delegate.
        8. Unsubscribe from useless e-mails. Do some Triage:

        Take a 10-minute break after 1 hour of work.

        Prioritize work and schedule online facetime with friends and family, due to covid lockdown. 

        Only watch 1 hour of TV/Netflix at night to wind down once work is complete.

        Make a list of what has to be done for the week and on what days. 

        Don’t make excuses and find things to clean to procrastinate. 

         

        09. Exercise - Plan workouts during your work breaks (10 min chunks) so you can get the most exercising done throughout the day.

        10. Do most important tasks in AM.

        11. Be good at planning and organizing. 

        12. Disable notification for useless apps.

        13. Find tasks to eliminate or automate.

        14. One task at a time (no multitasking).

        15. Always set reminders on your phone.

        16.Write stuff down so you don’t forget.

        Don’t waste time re-writing texts. 

        AM is best for maximizing productivity.

        Use accurate time frames for task – make sure to have extra time in case a task takes longer than expected. They are distracting. 

        Use alarm app. 

        Make use of agenda and post-its.

         

        The final question isn’t just of doing things faster, but of doing the right things. Constantly measure and be aware of the actual value each of your personal and work activities brings. Those that don’t add much should be simplified or eliminated entirely to focus on those that work.

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

        7 Steps in implementing a Zero Trust Architecture

        In the past, cyber defences used to focus on a ‘perimeter’ consisting of geographical proximity. Therefore, everything within the security perimeter was confined to the office building. Today, fewer employees are required to go to an office to work since they can access an organization’s assets through mobile devices and cloud software, regardless of where they are located. Unfortunately, this gives cyber criminals more entry points to collect and damage an organization’s assets. 

        ZTA, developed by Forrester’s John Kindervag in 2010, is one of the best ways to secure any kind of cyber assets for most organizations. The basic principles of zero trust are:

        • -        Assume network is always hostile.
        • -        Assume internal/external threats are always present.
        • -        Assume internal network is not sufficient to equal trusted.

        As not all organizations looking to implement ZTA are doing so under the same circumstances, let’s look at the two different varieties of implementation:

        • Pure ZTA creation – This is also known as a ‘greenfield’ approach. New companies without cybersecurity architecture or those seeking a makeover of their existing systems are effectively starting over from scratch. 
        • Hybrid ZTA and perimeter system ­– More commonly, companies looking to incorporate ZTA into their cyberdefences will be integrating zero trust concepts into an existing perimeter-focused cybersecurity system. 

        7 steps to implementing a Zero Trust Architecture 

        Step 1: Identifying Actors

        The first stem is establishing the actors (who) of your system. This entails knowing who your users are, who potential threats may be, etc. This involves a process of detailed recordkeeping and account management, including:

        • -        All individual users and their characteristics
        • -        All nonperson entities (NTE) and their functions
        • -        All attributes and roles associated with every account

        Step 2: Identifying Assets 

        The second step is establishing the ‘what’ of your system. This requires you to develop and maintain a catalog of all individual resources of assets that are part of your system. This list includes, but is not limited to:

        -        Enterprise owned hardware

        Computers and laptops

        Mobile devices, tables, etc.

        All IoT devices (e.g. Belkin WeMo Smart Light Switch, Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller, Google Home Voice Controller)

        -        Unowned assets that regularly connect to enterprise resources

        Employee devices

        Client devices

        Third-party devices

        -        Digital artifacts

        All software and applications

        User accounts and relevant data (see above)

        Certificates and other digital or virtual resources

        Step 3: Identifying Processes

        Completing the initial inventory means keeping track of all processes in your system. 

        Companies may not be able to catalog all the information in Step 2, therefore it is important to set up a system that can efficiently scan a new asset and index it immediately. That way, your database adapts over time as assets are added, removed, or changed.

        This requires not only identifying all the processes, but also categorizing and ranking them with respect to stakes and cybersecurity needs. Processes to be gauged in this manner include:

        • -        Protocols
        • -        Data flows
        • -        Work flows
        • -        Transactions
        • -        Structured events

        Step 4: Formulating Policies 

        This step is where you move on to the establishment of rules and practices. It is therefore important to utilize the information gathered over the cataloguing stages to gauge the importance of a given actor, asset, or process to the overall ZTA scheme and the broader cybersecurity of the organization.

        It is highly recommended to begin with smaller or lower-stake process or asset. For instance, an application used by a small and defined subset of users is preferable for first adoption than one used by all users.

        Once the right process or asset is chosen, policies regarding specific cybersecurity needs and means can be drafted. 

        The policies define:

        • -        Which credentials or authenticating factors are appropriate for access
        • -        What information is eligible for the algorithm calculating access approval

        -        How the algorithm for access is to be calculated:

        • Logistics of access approval and denial
        • Priority and relevance of information
        • Exceptional cases and exceptions

        Step 5: Producing Solutions

        The fifth step involves creating the solutions by putting into action all the data collection and policy planning. 

        Here, you draft a list of viable solutions or deployments of ZTA to be used on one or more candidates identified in Step 4. These solutions are also guided by the policies outlined in Step 4. 

        You must determine which solution to implement. Things to consider when choosing from your list of solutions include:

        • -        Does the solution enable data collection analysis?
        • -        Does it require installation of components?
        • -        Does location impact its efficacy?

        Once a solution is chosen, you materialize it through deployment. 

        Step 6: Beginning Deployment and Monitoring 

        The sixth step involves putting your solution in place, deploying it on and through the various components that make up your ZTA architecture for the selected candidate(s). Actual changes are finally implemented to your cyberdefence framework. 

        It is highly recommended to have one or more trial runs before deploying the solution in full force. Initial hiccups are likely, such as 

        -        The system may be overly cautious, not granting access where it should.

        -        The system may be improperly lax, granting more access than it should. 

        -        The system may no properly handle special cases.

        This step is not complete until the deployment of ZTA components on the chosen candidates is fully deployed. Once complete, you will have successfully implemented ZTA. 

        Step 7: Expanding the Framework

        This last step requires you to return to the fourth step. Insights from your first run through steps five and six will guide your decisions as you return to Step 4. 

        Once you decided that the initial ZTA deployment on chosen candidates is functional and stable, because: 

        • -        you are monitoring the ZTA and loggin all traffic,
        • -        changes and adjustments are few and minor, and
        • -        operation involves little to no maintenance. 

        At this point, your deployment is successful. Moving forward you need to identify a new round of candidates for ZTA deployment, then designing the plan – until you enable cybersecurity for the complete list of applications that require protection, it should include application, data and infrastructure in your model implementation.

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        • - Skills To Envision, Design And Develop Enterprise Apps
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  • Tips for Keeping Productivity the Main Focus of Your Virtual Meetings

Blog

Tips for Keeping Productivity the Main Focus of Your Virtual Meetings
28 September 2018

As today’s workforce becomes more mobile and diverse, the landscape of meetings as we know them is changing drastically. More employees are utilizing flexible schedules, spending part of their workweek at home, and workforces are also becoming diverse with employees in different geographic areas or even corners of the globe. Because of this, virtual meetings are becoming more of the norm and less of the exception in the modern workforce. And with that, it presents a host of new challenges for employees to keep these meetings productive for everyone involved. Take this video for example.

Anyone who has ever participated in a conference call or virtual meeting has probably had at least one experience like this! - had one yesterday :)

The next time you’re in charge of leading a virtual meeting, here are 7 tips to keep in mind to help make it worth the time of everyone involved.

Remember that Relationships Matter

When it comes to meetings of any kind, it’s important to remember that it’s not just all about business. It’s the people you’re interacting with and the cohesiveness of that group that can make or break the productivity of that meeting. If these meetings occur regularly with team members, make it a habit to work on improving relationships too and not just furthering matters of business. You may want to consider opening up the conference lines a few minutes early so team members can catch up with causal talk before the agenda begins. Or, as the meeting leader, you can even plan a few minutes at the beginning of each agenda to allow team members to update the group on what’s happening in their lives. Ask them about one of their other projects, how their family is, or what’s happening in their city or country. Working on building relationships with meeting attendees sets the tone for authentic conversation and a productive virtual environment where everyone feels like they’re part of a team.

Be Proactive about Potential IT Issues

There are a lot of different virtual meeting tools out there, and while you may assume that everyone who will be involved in the meeting already knows the ins and outs of your preferred meeting software, don’t take that for granted. Prior to the meeting, consider sending out a brief email reminding attendees about any updates they should make to their software beforehand, plugins they may need, etc. It also wouldn’t hurt to remind them that to keep things efficient for everyone involved, that they should have a fast/reliable internet connection, a headset or earbuds to prevent echoing, etc. The more you can do beforehand to prep attendees the more smoothly things will run during the meeting.

Create and Distribute an Agenda Beforehand

Making an agenda is also a crucial step to prepping for heading up any virtual meeting. Make a list of the topics you plan to discuss (along with any sub-topics or notes) and distribute them to attendees prior to the meeting so everyone can prepare accordingly and be more focused during the time you’re working together. For each topic you list, consider also including the answers to the following questions:

  • Why are we discussing this topic?
  • What are the ideal outcomes of this discussion?
  • What do we need from participants for this discussion?

Sending out your agenda ahead of time rather than just reviewing it quickly as the meeting is starting will help keep things on track during the meeting and produce far more effective outcomes.

Plan Extra Time

When it comes to virtual meetings, you almost have to plan for the unexpected. Someone may be late joining in, another may have technical difficulties mid-discussion, and you may find that you need more time to discuss a certain topic than you had originally thought. As a rule of thumb, plan 20% more time than you think you’ll need for each topic on your agenda. Allotting extra time than you expect that you’ll need is always a good idea for meetings, and you can always end early if you’ve covered everything on your agenda. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who complains about a meeting ending early!

Set the Right Expectations

As the leader of the virtual meeting, it’s also important that you set expectations from the start about how you will be guiding the conversation. Make it clear that you will try to be firm about keeping the conversation on track and that you may call on people during certain conversations where their input seems appropriate. As the leader, it’s also a good idea to ask attendees to stay focused on the agenda at hand while leaving their other technology aside during the meeting, unless they have a good reason not to.

Encourage Participation

It’s common for most virtual meetings to have at least one “silent attendee”—the person who listens to the entire conversation, but only chimes in upon greeting or leaving the meeting. As you lead and direct the meeting, make participation paramount for everyone involved. Keep a chart of everyone who is attending the meeting so you can easily call on them by name. Whether you would like their specific input or just simply ask if they have any further questions about the topic, try to make sure that you’ve included every attendee by name at least once during the meeting.

Close Effectively

The way you close your virtual meeting can be just as important as the topics you discussed during its duration. Before you wrap things up completely, check for the following:

  • Completion – Does anyone have something else to add to the conversation or ask if things were unclear about a specific topic?
  • Alignment – Does everyone agree about where the conversation ended up?
  • Next Steps – Is everyone clear about their actions moving forward?
  • Value – Are you taking away something valuable from this meeting?
  • Acknowledgment – Is there anyone we should acknowledge before ending?

With a little bit of planning and extra attention to structure, virtual meetings don’t have to feel like they’re a waste of time ever again. As the meeting leader, it’s your job to make sure members of your group feel included as a team, that they know what their role is in the meeting, and that everyone leaves the meeting feeling like their time was well spent. Do you have any other tips for how you make virtual meetings productive? Please share in the comments below.

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Thank you for reading my post. I regularly write about Management, Technology and Enterprise Application Software. If you would like to read my future posts then click 'Follow' or send me a LinkedIn invite. And, of course, feel free to also connect via Twitter.

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