Two days after being shot, Bob Marley took to the stage to perform a free concert in aid of easing political tensions in his home country of Jamaica. The legendary musician’s logic was simple: “The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?”
It’s a logic that the tireless researchers, doctors and scientists working in the field of medicine take to their work every day – disease doesn’t take a day off! As a result, brilliant discoveries and inventions are being brought to light all the time.

Where There’s Smoke There’s … Diagnosis
Part of the reason we use terms such as ‘remission’ rather than ‘cure’ is that cancer is such a difficult disease to pin down – surgery may have got all the cells, but there’s also a chance some were missed (chemotherapy is often used as a precaution for this very reason). However, the iKnife could help ensure all cancerous cells are removed in the first procedure. Like many modern surgical instruments, the iKnife uses heat, rather than a blade, to make its incisions. However, where smoke is generally seen as a superfluous side effect, the iKnife uses rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) technology to analyze the smoke.
“After the smoke has been aspirated, we then apply machine learning tools to the raw data to search for patterns of molecules against large databases of previously validated spectra,” Dr James Kinross, consultant colorectal surgeon and senior lecturer at Imperial College London, explained to SelectScience. The result is that the surgeon is told in real-time if the cells being removed are cancerous or not – vastly improving the odds that all cells that need to be removed are done so.

Wiping Out Malaria With Spit
The 2018 World Malaria Report found the disease is still killing 435,000 people per year, with the majority of those children aged under five. While there is new technology that can identify the disease before the patient begins to exhibit symptoms, vastly improving the chances of successful treatment, a blood test needs to be administered. And with the majority of fatalities occurring in children, it can seem an unnecessary cruelty to subject someone so young to the pain and trauma of a blood test for a disease they don’t apparently have. It’s also an expensive procedure, requiring highly trained professionals and extensive logistics – all to identify a disease found overwhelmingly in the world’s poorest nations. However, a team of researchers have discovered a workaround – saliva. Specifically, it was discovered that the parasite that causes the disease secretes a specific molecule that can be found in an infected patient’s saliva.
“The saliva test basically works like other blood-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests that have a test strip inside a plastic cassette, similar to a pregnancy test,” Rhoel David Ramos Dinglasan, of the CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases, wrote for The Conversation. “It is important to note that the portable saliva test is almost as sensitive as a molecular diagnostic test, which are only available from a laboratory.” Dinglasan speculated these cheap testing kits could be rolled out within three years, which hopefully would help achieve the World Health Organization’s stated aim of malaria elimination.
 
How Packaging Could Slash Heart Disease
It’s far cheaper and less invasive to prevent disease than to cure it, which is why preventive medicine is becoming a major focus. And one of the best ways we can defeat a host of diseases in advance is to cut obesity levels. Obviously, this is a battle that needs to be fought on a number of fronts, but healthy diet is a huge factor – and recent studies have found that getting people to eat better may simply be a case of changing the packaging. Research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine said the key to getting people to eat better is by emphasizing “taste and satisfaction rather than nutritional properties”. “By making the healthy choice and the delicious choice one and the same, taste-focused labelling represents a low-cost, scalable strategy that holds potential for increasing consumption of healthy foods,” the study concluded. It’s a small start, but if it helps to cut rates of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, the most important shift in medicine in the immediate future may actually be redesigning food packaging!

A staggering 269 billion emails are sent every day. Your business is receiving only a small fraction of those emails. Yet your staff likely feel as if at least 269 of those are coming their way daily. In fact, the typical employee in 2018 received 90 emails, and sent out 40. 
Email is a powerful tool. But its help with doing business ever faster creates added business pressure. Consider these five strategies for better email management.

1. Don’t start your day with email. Many people do. It’s how they set up for the day. However, beginning the day with a cup of coffee and clicking through your inbox, can backfire. Many of those emails become items on your to-do list. You put off important tasks from your day responding to other people’s requests. Plan your day around your business needs first. Even knock off some of the more important tasks, before diving into that inbox!

 

1. Think twice about checking email constantly. It’s tempting to open emails as soon as they arrive. But, you only want to tackle your inbox when you have the time to take action. If you open an email planning to get back to it later, you’ll likely forget. When you have to revisit an email to remind yourself what it’s about, you’re doubling the time you spend on that message. Avoid interrupting your momentum by turning off email alert notifications and phone badges. Instead, set regular times to read and respond to accumulated emails.

 

1. Write clear, concise emails. Avoid contributing to a colleague’s inbox chaos. Provide as much relevant information as possible. Now, that doesn’t mean writing a War and Peace-length email. Focus your message for your audience, anticipate questions, and answer in that email.  Starting the message with an informative subject line can make a big difference too.

 

1. Save time with reusable messages. You often end up answering the same questions over and again. Create templated emails that you can have at the ready to provide relevant details. Depending on your email software, this capability may be built in or you may need to add a plug-in.

 

1. Use filters and folders to sort email. Learn how to automatically filter your messages into the appropriate folders. For example, if the email is from accounting@yourbusiness.com then send it to your “Accounting” folder. This can save hundreds of hours a year.  The better your folder system, the less time you’ll spend looking for specific emails when you need them. In Outlook, you can also set up a filter to change the color of email for different senders. Your boss could be red, and you’d know to handle that one first. Also save time by setting up strong filters for junk and spam. Unsubscribe from mailing lists that you don’t need any longer. Cleaning out the clutter can make your inbox much less overwhelming.

Email is an essential tool in business today. Don’t let it become a drain on your energy and attention. Make the most of the time you spend in your inbox with smart strategies for email management.  

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”
-Thomas Paine, The Crisis.
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As you enjoy time with your friends and family on this Memorial Day, please take time to remember all of those who have fallen in defense and service of our great nation. Their sacrifice, and that of their families, shall not be forgotten!

Death is a morbid topic most of us try to avoid. Making a will and saying we prefer cremation is often the extent of our advance planning. Yet, you may want to also think about what’s going to happen to your data.
Consider your digital footprint. You have photos, files, and emails on your computer and your phone. You’re also documenting your life on social media and sharing on more than one channel.

Your wearable technology (say an Apple Watch or a Fitbit) may be recording information too. If you have a virtual assistant in your home, it’s recording your search history and saving that data on the cloud.
Yet many of us never think “What will happen to my data after I die?” Do you want it deleted? Are there digital assets you want to share? Perhaps there is tangible value attached to some of your digital assets. At the very least, some photos and videos that may have sentimental value for those who survive you. So, let’s explore some advance planning you can do to protect your digital legacy.

Personal Files on Computer or Phone
Your personal devices are password protected. While necessary, this makes it more difficult for your survivors. 
Now, they could physically pull the computer or phone apart if needed. But, it’s easier to have a copy of your passwords in a secure place for someone to access in the event of your death. Another option is to use a password manager. You can designate someone as your backup contact. They will be able to gain access to your passwords should you die.

Digital Media Collections
Often, when you click the “Buy” button, you’re not really purchasing that movie or music forever. Your contract with iTunes, for instance, was only for your lifetime. Your rights expire at your death.

Cloud Accounts
Consider the personal and private data you have in the cloud, such as Google or Microsoft’s Outlook. This might include calendars, emails, GPS, documents and financial information.
Google’s Inactive Account Manager lets you make plans for your account. You decide:

• When Google should consider your account inactive 
• What it should do with your data afterwards
• Whether to share account access with someone (providing email and phone number)
• When or if your account should be deleted.

Microsoft won’t provide your passwords after death. However, via their Next of Kin process someone could be sent a DVD of the data in your outlook.com account.
Other cloud providers ask for proof of death and of legal right to access. In Dropbox’s case for instance, your survivors will need a court order. Even with all this, there’s no guarantee your personal data is completely removed from the cloud. It may exist in other datasets in system backups.
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Social Media Accounts
Social media companies do not provide login credentials. Many require proof of identity and a death certificate to deactivate the account. Facebook and Instagram will “memorialize” your accounts. The public can’t see, but Friends or Followers can still view it and post memories. You can assign a legacy contact to look after the account or have it deleted.
You don’t want someone using your social account to send out spam or inappropriate photos. For instance, a sexy spambot took over a New York Times media columnist’s Twitter account after his death in 2015. 
Plan ahead to protect your privacy and provide access where necessary. Think of the pain and heartache you can save your survivors by managing your digital legacy now. 

A global shortage of teachers in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the world could soon be overcome by the creation of digital teachers.
Take Will, a teacher with a difference. Will is an artificially intelligent digital avatar with a human face (and head), who takes primary school students through their paces on energy use. Created by the Auckland, New Zealand-based energy company Vector in partnership with AI company Soul Machines, Will interacts with students to deliver content and provides questions and multiple-choice answers to test student understanding at the end of each unit.

Technology and The Future of Education
Will is the first of a new breed of teachers that the DaVinci Institute founder Thomas Frey argues will become more intuitive and responsive to the increasing complexities of the classroom as the technology evolves. In fact, he thinks robot teachers will be the norm in schools by 2030.
Frey, a former IBM executive, told Business Insider: “I’ve been predicting by 2030 the largest company on the internet will be an education-based company that we haven’t heard of yet.”
He’s not alone. British education expert Sir Anthony Sheldon went a step further to say that teachers would be replaced by robots by 2027 and argued that inspirational teachers of the future will be artificially intelligent. Technology, he said, “will open up the possibility of an Eton or Wellington education for all.”

Responsive Technology
Technology could also help UNESCO reach its ambitious goal of ensuring every child across the globe can meet minimum proficiency in reading and numeracy.
Sheldon, head of the prestigious Wellington School, told the UK Independent that classroom technology offered great promise that was beyond anything seen in the Industrial Revolution or since.
“These are adaptive machines that adapt to individuals. They will listen to the voices of the learners, read their faces and study them in the way gifted teachers study their students,” he said. “We're looking at screens which are listening to the voice of the student and reading the face of the student.”
AI is already playing a critical role in partnering with teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of students. For example, catering for the individual needs of 30 students in the classroom is a challenge. AI can help personalize learning design so that each student has an appropriate level of challenge.
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We’ll Still Need Teachers
The idea that teachers will somehow be replaceable by technology is slowly gaining traction.
But not so fast, says Alex Beard. The former British school teacher embarked on a global tour of the technology behemoths at Google and ed-tech think tanks that were using data and AI to make inroads into the classrooms. The result was Natural Born Learners, which reaffirmed the role of teachers.
Central to Beard’s argument was the need to recapture the 2,000-year-old truth about learning – that it is difficult. And that’s the point. Teachers and technology will partner to deliver better student outcomes and the shape of that partnership will evolve with the technology.

This time of year, the thunderstorms come rolling through. As a result, we often run across a handful of computers that have sustained damages from lightning strikes and power surges. Here's some advice so you can avoid losing valuable files and productivity.

Unplug Your Electronics and Anything Connected
Electricity follows the path of least resistance and any physical connection to your computer should be disconnected. That is, it's best to unplug both your computer’s power cord as well as all the other cables and cords, including Internet cable, printers, external hard drives, monitors, etc. Don’t forget to unplug your modem or router as well. If your computer uses a wired Internet connection, and the modem is still plugged in, a surge can travel along that path.

Use a Surge Protector
An easy way to unplug things efficiently is to have everything plugged in to the same surge protector or power strip. Then simply shutdown your computer and unplug the power strip as storms approach. In addition, if a surge protector has been left connected during a power surge or lightning strike, it should be replaced even if it still works as it may be damaged. You should also be careful not to overload a circuit by having too many devices plugged in to one outlet.

Surge Protector vs Power Strip
Note that a power strip is not the same as a surge protector. A power strip is just a short extension cord with a bunch of outlets. In a surge protector, when the voltage rises above the accepted level, the surge protector suppresses the excess voltage to prevent it from causing harm. Specifically, internal components called metal oxide varistors (MOVs) absorb the excess voltage and divert it safely to the ground wire, preventing it from reaching the connected equipment. In order for surge protectors to work correctly however, your electrical system needs to be grounded properly. Generally speaking, if you have a three-prong outlet, it should be grounded. You can use an inexpensive outlet tester to verify that the circuit is grounded. If it is not, call an electrician.

Surge Protectors Won’t Save You From Lightning
Surge protectors offer protection in amounts called joules. Think of this like a reservoir of protection. If a product has 1,000 joules of protection, that means it can take ten 100 joule hits, or a single 1,000 joule hit. Generally, the more joules the better. Thus, surge protectors are designed to take relatively minor surges, but they don’t last forever, and a large enough strike can power through them altogether. It is important to note, that no surge protector can save your devices from a direct or near miss lightning strike. At least, not one that would fit inside your house, as the average lightning bolt contains one to ten BILLION joules.
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If You Have a "Zapped" Computer
Some of the symptoms of a zapped computer are a failure to power on, failure to boot, strange buzzing or high-pitched noises and random loss of power during use. If your computer has been struck by lightning, your home or rental insurance policy may cover the cost of replacement. Some insurance companies will require an estimate and/or a statement outlining the damages. We can provide an assessment, estimate and replacement, if you should need one. In the case of a lightning strike it is usually recommended to replace the computer, as there is no reliable way to determine the full extent of the damage and some problems appear in the days or weeks following the strike.

“That will never happen to me.” We get through our lives telling ourselves the worst won’t happen to us. It’s the same with business: “We won’t need this data backup.” Yet, whatever your industry, secure, reliable backup ensures business as usual. So, what’s the best way to backup? Here’s help.

Why You Need to Backup

1. Business disruptions of any kind can be costly. The disaster might take one of several shapes:
2. Natural (e.g. wildfires, floods, earthquakes, or hurricanes)
3. On-site (e.g. hardware/software failure, power outage, inability to access building)
4. Employee driven (e.g. damaging mistakes or intentional sabotage by a disgruntled employee)
5. Cyber-attack (e.g. data breach, ransomware, or distributed denial of service attack).  

Regardless, the best backup solution can help reduce downtime and damage. 

Plan B: Approaches to Backup
There are several off-the-shelf backup options your business can use. Let’s consider the pros and cons of the most popular ones.  

USB Thumb Drives — Also known as “flash drives,” “pen drives,” or “memory sticks,” these thumb-sized devices are compact and portable, but they can have size limitations compared to hard drives. Also, the mobility makes them easy to lose (which can actually set the disaster scenario in motion).   
Additionally, a USB thumb drive is robust when not plugged in, but more vulnerable when attached. If someone inadvertently snaps the drive or employs too much force, they can put the data on that backup at risk. The cheap ones also tend to be slow, which can make backing up sluggish. 

USB Hard Drives — Portable hard drives increase the data storage available, often at a decent price. They are designed to be compact and mobile. You can prioritize durability, processing speed, storage volumes and more. Hard drives are less likely to get damaged than a thumb drive. If knocked or jostled, the cables are flexible. Still, a hard drive can be prone to physical failure. Selecting an external solid slate drive (SSD) can help since it has no moving parts. Information is stored instead in microchips. 

Cloud Storage — Backing up to the cloud stores data on an external, secure server. If thieves take your computers and USB backup, you can still access your data on the cloud. Cloud storage providers build in redundancy to ensure your backup remains safe.  
Most cloud storage services back up to secure centers with thousands of servers storing data. Oh, and they’ll have their own server backups too, just in case they’re the ones hit by a disaster. The providers also encrypt data during transit to further ensure compliance and security. 
Migrating to a third-party cloud storage service also cuts the clutter at your premises. You can count on expert help to ensure security and compliance. Plus, you can cut operational costs by offloading in-house storage or external hard drive expenses. 
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OK, What’s the Best Answer? 
Don’t think disaster won’t strike your business. Research has found data loss and downtime are most often caused by:

• Hardware failures (45% of total unplanned downtime)
• Loss of power (35%)
• Software failure (34%)
• Data corruption (24%)
• External security breaches (23%)
• Accidental user error (20%). 

We recommend the 3-2-1 backup strategy. This means having 3 copies of your data. Two (2) of these would be located on different devices (e.g. on your computer and on a backup drive). The other remaining backup copy (1) would be secured offsite, in the cloud. 

Are you prompting Siri, Google, or Alexa? When you talk a home assistant, you join a growing number of smart homes. Smart home assistants search online, start phone calls, order groceries, play music, turn lights on. All with a single spoken command.

Research into how people use Google or Alexa demonstrates the core features. Listening to music ranked first. Checking weather and asking for general information rounded out the top three. Setting timers and reminders, asking for the news or jokes (perhaps to make up for the news?) are also common.  
Yet, the question remains, just how safe are these virtual assistants? After all, having a smart speaker in your home means there is always an open microphone in your house.

Smart Speaker and Home Assistant Safety Concerns
The convenience of the speaker demands that it always be on, ready and waiting for you to say, “Hey Siri” or “OK Google.” Once triggered the device records the command, sends the data to servers for processing, and figures out its response. Smart speaker users can log in to view the history of queries on their accounts. This prompts some concerns that these mega-companies will use the information for financial gain. For example, those talking about an overseas holiday might start seeing related ads on their computers. Someone hacking into the home assistant to gain access to your personal information is another concern. Those who set smart speakers as a hub for many devices also create more points of vulnerability. It’s difficult to anticipate all the ways the assistant could prove too good a listener. In one case, a voice assistant recorded a private conversation and sent it to the couple’s contacts list.

Steps to Stay Secure with a Smart Speaker
That candid conversation share aside, few big privacy flubs or personal data breaches have been reported. Nevertheless, if taking advantage of Alexa, Siri, or Google, keep these strategies in mind.

1. Clear your history. Don’t leave everything you’ve ever asked it stored on the company server. The assistant will relearn your commands quickly.
2. Connect with caution. It’s great to be able to turn on the TV and dim the lights without leaving the comfort of your sofa. Be wary of connecting security or surveillance devices to your home assistant.
3. Mute the microphone. It undermines your ability to call from the closet “OK, Google, what’s the weather like today?” But, turning off the mic when it’s not in use stops recording without you knowing about it.
4. Secure your network. Home assistants do their work by connecting to the Internet using your network. Ensure they are accessing a password protected network. They should use devices (e.g. modems/routers) changed from the default password settings.
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With a little effort you can gain convenience without worry.  

A guest article, brought to you courtesy of Emsisoft

Has someone sent you an email with an attachment that claims to be a leaked copy of the Mueller report? Have you been directed to a website where you can supposedly download the Mueller report in full?
No, you shouldn’t click on it. Yes, it’s almost certainly a scam.

Politically Motivated Cyberattacks
Whenever there’s big news, scammers attempt to capitalize on it. By referencing current events, scammers are able to make their attacks seem more believable to increase the chances of their targets clicking on a malicious link, inadvertently giving away their personal information or downloading a malicious file. One of the biggest political events happening right now is the release of the Mueller report.
In case you haven’t been following the story, here’s a quick recap: Almost two years ago, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was tasked with leading an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Along the way, we’ve caught glimpses of various scandals related to the investigation – alleged obstruction, collusion and money laundering, to name but three – but the details of the report have, for the most part, been kept under wraps.
A day ago, Mueller submitted his final report to Attorney General Bill Barr, and to say that people are curious about what the report contains would be a gross understatement. If you’re a citizen of the United States, you’re probably – regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum – eager to see the report.
But here’s the thing: at the time of writing, only the Attorney General has access to the Mueller report. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that Mueller’s findings will ever be made public.
 
Look Out for Mueller Report Malware
Cybercriminals are well aware of the immense public interest in the Mueller report, and there’s a very high chance that the report will be used as bait in scams and attacks over the coming days and weeks. With WikiLeaks joining in on the frenzy by raising $1 million for a leaked copy of the report, attackers may use the report to try and persuade you to open email attachments, visit websites and download files that you would normally ignore. 
 
Be very wary of:

1. Email attachments that claim to be a leaked copy of the Mueller report.
2. Dodgy websites where you can supposedly download the Mueller report.
3. Emails regarding the Mueller report, which contain links to websites that ask for your login credentials or other sensitive information.
4. Protecting yourself from Mueller report malware
   
   

The usual rules apply when it comes to protecting yourself against politically motivated attacks:

1. Be very suspicious of unsolicited emails and only open attachments that you’re certain are safe.
2. Avoid phishing attacks by only entering your personal information on known, trustworthy websites.
3. Install an anti-phishing browser extension such as Emsisoft Browser Security.
4. Invest in proven antivirus software such as Emsisoft Anti-Malware.
   
   

Whether or not the Mueller report is eventually released to the public, it seems very likely that cybercriminals will try and use it to add a layer of legitimacy to their attacks. Being mindful of unsolicited emails and protecting yourself with reliable antivirus software can go a long way toward mitigating these attacks.

Phishing attacks have been around for a long time in IT.  Designed to steal your credentials or trick you into installing malicious software, they have persisted in the IT world precisely because they have been so devastatingly simple and effective.  Today, a more modern and more effective version of the same attack is commonly used.
A typical phishing attack involves an attacker sending out a malicious email to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of users.  The attacker's email is designed to look like it comes from a bank, financial service, or even the tax office. Often aiming to trick you into logging in to a fake online service, a phishing attack captures the login details you enter so an attacker may use them to enter the genuine service later.
By sending out tens of thousands of emails at a time, attackers can guarantee that even if only one half of one percent of people fall for it, there is a lot of profit to be made by draining accounts.  Spear phishing is a more modern, more sophisticated, and far more dangerous form of the attack.  It's typically targeted at businesses and their staff.

A Convincing, Dangerous Attack
While a traditional phishing attack throws out a broad net in the hope of capturing as many credentials as possible, spear phishing is targeted and precise.  The attack is aimed towards convincing a single business, department, or individual that a fraudulent email or website is genuine.
The attacker focuses on building a relationship and establishing trust with the target.  By building trust and convincing the target that they are who they are pretending to be, the user is more likely to open attachments, follow links, or provide sensitive details.
Consider how many times you have followed a link or opened an attachment just because it has come from a contact you have trusted before.

A Trusted E-mail
The malicious email can appear to come from a vendor you deal with regularly.  It may even look like an invoice you are expecting to receive.  Often attackers can simply substitute the vendors' banking details for their own, hoping the target will not notice the difference.
Such an attack is very difficult to detect.  It takes a keen eye, strong working knowledge, and constant awareness to keep your company protected.  Even a single small mistake by an unaware member of staff can compromise your business accounts.

Defending Your Business
The key to stopping a spear phishing attack is education.  Learning attack techniques, and how to protect against them is the single biggest thing you can do to enhance business security.
Whenever you deal with a vendor in a business transaction, you should always consider important questions before proceeding.  Are you expecting this email?  Is the vendor attempting to rush you into a quick decision or transaction?  Have you checked all the details are correct and as you expected?  Sometimes a simple query to the vendor can protect you against worst-case scenarios.
In many cases, a phishing attack can be halted in its tracks with a strong IT security package.  Web filtering prevents malicious emails and links from entering the network, shutting attacks down before any damage can be done.

Good Security Practice
As with many types of IT threat, good security practices help mitigate damage.  Locking down security to ensure employees only access the systems they need helps to prevent damage spreading across the network. Enforcing unique and strong passwords prevents leaked credentials from affecting systems related to the one that has been compromised.  Getting employees set up with a password manager and good security policies can do the world of good to boost your security to the level it needs to be.