Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Enjoying The Holidays

As the year winds down, it’s time to thank everyone for being a part of my journey with a year of overcoming new challenges, helping others, and continued growth personally and professionally.      

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER

Every year just keeps on getting better.  In reflecting on all the good things and the challenges we had, it is exciting to see how we continue to grow and move forward in a positive and successful direction.  There are many great people to thank, including my business partners; Ali, Liqaa, Mazen, and Shawn, our spouses, who are always there for us, the incredible AlphaKORians’ and our clients (the extended team).

Thanks to our families, friends, and associates who play a role in our successes.  I thank each and every one of you, thank you!

BALANCING WORK AND THE HOLIDAYS

How do you balance work and the holidays?

This year, the month of December is filled with holiday company events, customer appreciation events, holiday networking events, friends and family holiday events, and many other gatherings.  How many events can you attend and how many do you want to attend?

We had our company holiday dinner after three years and it was enjoyed by all who attended.  It is wonderful to continue this annual tradition of enjoying the AlphaKORians and significant others in a social setting having dinner and good conversations.

Finding the right balance between work and holiday commitments can be challenging.  When clients and suppliers invite you to their appreciation events, it is important to make the effort to attend.  Don’t forget to wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

UNPLUGGING WITH THE FAMILY

Looking forward to this Holiday Season with some time off to enjoy unplugging for a bit while making time for the family.  We seem to forget this as we get swept away by all the activities and invitations.  Our annual tradition is to celebrate Christmas Eve with my family.  My sister is hosting this year.  Everyone brings a dish, so no one has to prepare it all.   

Christmas Day is spent with Carmela’s side of the family.   Another big meal and too many sweets and desserts and of course espresso.  It is always a wonderful time and we enjoy playing cards after the big meal in between naps.  

Happy balancing during the Holiday Season!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

To everyone who supported Wednesday Wisdom virtually and in person, we will continue this monthly event to connect and network with others next year.  Thank you for following the Building Circles blog and appreciated all your comments, feedback and support over the years.

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon and in the New Year!  Thank you, everyone, have a great holiday, and all the best in the new year.  Merry Christmas and enjoy the moment.  Be responsible and take care of your loved ones to ensure everyone gets home safely. Enjoy your holidays and all the best in 2023!

(Originally published on 12.14.22)

The Importance Of Contributing To Your Community

As the year winds down and we head into the holidays, I like to reflect on the things that made the year special. From our partners to our clients and community partners, the AlphaKORians' take pride in contributing to our local community.

In this post, I will be discussing the importance of contributing to community by establishing meaningful connections, as well as sharing how AlphaKOR is involved in the Windsor-Essex community.

Establishing Meaningful Connections

From our humble beginnings, AlphaKOR was founded in Windsor, ON, and grew to be the company it is today. For over 27 years, AlphaKOR has proudly been providing business technology solutions to businesses in the Windsor-Essex area and beyond.

Building meaningful connections in the community with Academia and many Non-Profit organizations, AlphaKOR supports and gives back to be a Community Partner.  Volunteering, sitting on boards/committees, and supporting and participating in community events are some of the ways we have made these connections.

This year, Wednesday Wisdom met monthly to foster new connections, reconnect with established ones, and created a network community to help each other, both professionally and personally.

Giving Back to the Windsor-Essex Community

AlphaKOR is built upon four core values that perfectly define everything we stand for: integrity, excellence, teamwork, and client focus. These values have grown to define the AlphaKORian culture, whether in-house, in the community, or on-site, this is what to expect from each other.

Beyond the call of duty, our incredible team bands together to support local causes, our community, and our education system. Each year, the AlphaKORians’ give back to the community through several causes and fundraising events.   It is important for those who can give back, especially at this time of year.

Over the years, AlphaKOR has proudly given back to the Windsor-Essex community by donating to various causes and participating in a variety of charitable events. During the holiday seasons, we have supported The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County with the help of our long-term client, John Martel. Additionally, we have supported The Windsor Youth Centre, a program of The United Church Downtown Mission of Windsor Inc., with a holiday food and care drive organized by The AlphaKORians, in addition to other local charitable causes.

Keep Giving Back

This year, AlphaKOR will be supporting The Windsor Youth Centre with an in-house HUGS drive.  The AlphaKORians are encouraged to give back to the WindsorEssex youth by donating clothing, hygiene products, winter gear, gift cards, snacks, and more essential items. We also invite any drop-in clients of ours to contribute to the HUGS drive as 100% of contributions will be donated.

There are other ways to contribute to the Community and I would like to circle back to Wednesday Wisdom.  In the Fall of 2020, many were asking how and where networking could take place during the pandemic.  January 2021 Wednesday Wisdom began as a weekly virtual networking group to bring professionals in the Community together.  This evolved into a monthly in-person networking group and peaked at 85 attendees last month!  This has helped many in our Community connect with others, create jobs, and create business opportunities, and the best part it has created relationships and friendships during this challenging time.

Fostering Growth in Windsor-Essex

As a technology leader in the Windsor-Essex community, it is important for us to contribute and give back to our community.  We like to lead by example for others to follow and give back when and where they can.  This year has been special as we continue to move forward together with a hybrid business model and more venues opening up to in-person interactions while continuing virtual interactions to help continue growing our Community.  We are excited about the new investments and opportunities as we wind down this year and welcome these in 2023.

What are you doing as a leader to contribute to Windsor-Essex Community?

(Originally published on 11.30.22)

Sales Builds Character, Character Nurtures Sales

 As a leader, having a charismatic personality attracts people to listen to what you have to offer. In this week's Optimize Yourself podcast, I am invited by podcast host Moutasem Seifi to discuss my journey to becoming a successful seller.

In this episode, I share my educational background, learning experiences that helped me in my career, and challenges that I have faced in the world of business.

With Seifi, I dive into my beginnings in computer Sales before the internet existed. In this role, doing my homework and building genuine relationships with customers were very important. Taking in everything I learned helped pave the way to building a successful career today as President and CEO of AlphaKOR.

Watch the full episode:

[embed]https://youtu.be/Jxai5VgdTiE[/embed]

What do you do to be a successful seller? Share your insight and tips in the comments below!

(Originally published on 11.23.22)

Building Relationships

 

HOW ARE YOU BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS?

Communication is always an important key to successful relationships. How often do you communicate to ensure it is often enough and not too often?

Understanding each relationship and treating everyone as individuals instead of grouping them helps balance the right amount of communication.  All of us have a threshold of how often we want to be contacted and when you understand this you will see positive results.

THOSE LITTLE THINGS

What about the little things?  Most relationships are challenged due to the little things.  On one hand, these little things do not seem to matter. On the other hand, they make all the difference.

What little things do you do to maintain the relationship to set you apart from the rest?

We take pride in dropping off products to our clients. Most of the time it leads to a good discussion and an opportunity. This little thing strengthens and provides value to the relationship.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

What do you know about the other person such as their favourite sports team, hobbies, and interests?  What do you have in common?   Make a personal connection that is real and genuine.

When following up, ask about their non-business involvement.   If their favourite team won a game recently, know about it and mention it or ask about the golf tournament they entered over the weekend.  Wish them a happy birthday or happy anniversary and better yet, mail them a card instead of e-mail or text.

CONSISTENT AND PROACTIVE

Make your communications consistent and be proactive. The conversation is about building the relationship first and adding the business dialogue afterwards resulting in a well-rounded relationship.  Sell after the relationship is built.

This is where the rule of the three keys to success sets in: follow-up, follow-up and follow-up.  As a leader, I cannot stress this enough:  be consistent and proactive in all your relationships.  By following this rule, watch your relationships grow stronger   When someone reaches out for an update, you have not followed this rule effectively.  Listen to what they are asking and adjust your communication to strengthen this relationship.

OVERCOME CHALLENGES

When there are challenges, it is very rewarding for one party to contact the other and share their concern. Working together on a challenge is the ultimate sign of a successful relationship. You actually do not have to agree; however, you both have to accept each other’s facts and move forward together.

Saying thank you and showing your appreciation is another way to maintain relationships.

How are you building your relationships?

(Originally published on 11.16.22)

Accomplishing Great Things

One of my life long motivators to accomplish great things is the fear of failure.  Sometimes we do fail and at other times we need to fail so we can learn from it.  This helps leaders keep focused on being successful.  To accomplish these great things, we are positive and we are energetic.

Being Optimistic

What really moves me about this fear is the ability to think positive, to be optimistic and  focus on achieving the goals at hand.  This is not blind optimism.   You have to be reasonable when you are setting that bar high to ensure it is within reach.

Being optimistic is not just smiling and pretending all is wonderful and good.   It is your passion and your positive vibe you bring every time.  When you channel your energy  to move forward in a positive and confident way to overcome the obstacles along the way is being optimistic.  Navigate your way against all the negative chatter and turn the conversation in a positive direction.  I call this "smother them with positive news!"

Create Your Own Destiny

The result of this motivation?

When we focus on being successful, we can create our own destiny.  It is easy to get frustrated when we hear all the "nay-sayers" around us.  Focusing our energy onto the positive side will help you stay on your path of success.  The person you see in the mirror is the only one you can hold accountable!

This destiny leads to achieving great things.  The positive feedback, the difference one can make and the feeling of successfully accomplishing something great are the motivation drivers to keep yourself going.

Accomplishing Great Things

What do you want to accomplish to make a difference?  We are facing this challenging time together by helping everyone we can along our journey.  The AlphaKORians' are dedicated and focused into helping and playing a role for so many to accomplish great things.  We thank them for all they do!

Take time to reflect on your successes and where you want to go from here.   Set some big goals and some smaller goals.   Take them one at a time.  Make plans to successfully achieve them.  Keep leading your team with direction, support and positive recognition.    They will make you a better leader.   Being a better leader results in accomplishing more great things as you continue to grow.

Share your story on the great things you are accomplishing.

(Originally published on 11.09.22)

How To Spot Phishing: The Seven Red Flags

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM). The goal of CSAM is to help Canadians stay cyber-safe by equipping them with knowledge through the following four themes:

For the final week of CSAM we're focusing on the theme, “Putting It All Together”. This week, we're discussing how to spot the 7 red flags of phishing, cybersecurity tips for older adults and children, and how to equip colleagues with knowledge of phishing.

The 7 Red Flags of Phishing

Phishing is a common method that hackers will use to steal valuable information from individuals and organizations. Phishing scams are often disguised as messages from people and organizations that you trust, making them easier to fall victim to.

The most important way to avoid a phishing scam is to learn how to recognize one. Here are seven red flags to look out for:

  1. Urgent or threatening language: Look out for threats of closing your account or taking legal action, and pressure to respond or act on something quickly.
  2. Requests for sensitive information: Be on alert for links directing you to login pages, requests to update your credentials, and demands for your or your company’s financial information.
  3. Anything too good to be true: Avoid actions on messages that claim winnings from contests you’ve never entered, prizes you must pay to receive, and inheritance from long-lost relatives.
  4. Unexpected emails: Disregard emails such as receipts for items you’ve never purchased and updates on deliveries for things you didn’t order.
  5. Information mismatches: Look out for incorrect (but maybe similar) sender email addresses, links that don’t go to official websites, and errors in spelling or grammar that a legitimate organization wouldn’t miss.
  6. Suspicious attachments: Avoid attachments that you didn’t ask for that have weird file names or uncommon file types.
  7. Unprofessional design: Be on alert for incorrect or blurry company logos, image-only emails, and company emails with little, poor, or no formatting.

If you encounter any of these red flags in an email or message, do not interact with it. Rather, delete the email or message. If you are unsure, ask the sender about the message through a different channel.

Cybersecurity Tips for Older Adults and Children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ9ZNShXbC0

Learning how to be cyber safe can seem like an overwhelming task. For older adults and children, there is a lot to learn about practicing safe online behaviour, as well as ensuring your devices are protected from cyber threats. The best way to prevent falling victim to a cyber-attack, such as phishing, is to know how to recognize and prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Our devices do a great job of making our lives more convenient! For example, older adults can turn to their computers and tablets to chat with their family and friends, and kids can turn to their smart speaker and ask for homework help (“Hey Google, what is 2 x 2?”), learn about any topic of their choosing, play music, and more! But, just like other internet-connected devices, smart devices can give potential cybercriminals access to our information.

If you encounter any of the seven red flags of phishing in an email, phone call, or text message (aka smishing), do not interact with it. Delete the email or text, do not answer the call (or hang up), and if relevant report it. Phishing attempts are becoming more sophisticated, so if you are unsure ask the “sender” about the message through a different channel.

For example, if your child receives an email from their teacher asking them to send them personal information- it is likely a phishing attempt as teachers, or the school would reach out to the parent. In this case, you or your child can ask their teacher directly in their next online or in-person class to confirm if the request was legitimate or not.

grandmother-and-grandchild-looking-at-tablet-around-kitchen-table

Older adults must also be on the lookout for the red flags of phishing as they can become a target of cybercrime such as romance scams, tech support scams, and even grandchild scams. Some actionable steps that both older adults and parents of young children can take to practice cyber safety include:

  • Teach children about cyber safety
  • Think twice before you share any personal information online
  • Always verify requests with a trusted source
  • Use anti-virus and malware protection
  • Backup your data
  • Only visit trusted websites and do not click on unknown links or attachments
  • Protect your accounts with MFA
  • Use complex passphrases and passwords

For more tips about how older adults can stay safe online, check out this article by Get Cyber Safe.

How To Equip Colleagues with Knowledge Of Phishing

Whether you’re working at the office or remotely, cyber security practices should be taken seriously. Businesses of every size can be a target of cyber crimes such as ransomware, phishing, and malware. While not completely unavoidable, proactive measures should be taken to avoid cybercrime and protect your business networks.

remote-worker-holding-laptop-wearing-headset

Cyber security is a team effort that requires action from both management and employees. The best way to equip your team to prevent becoming a victim of cybercrime is to learn how to recognize and prevent it! Here is what you can do to ensure your team is prepared to avoid common cyber crimes, such as phishing:

  • Implement Email Best Practices: Combat the inevitability of cybersecurity breach attempts through email by communicating best practices with your employees. Practices such as: separating internal and external emails, prohibition of all unknown email link clicks and keeping an updated SPAM filter.
  • Educate Your Team: Ensure that your team understands what is at stake with a business’s cybersecurity. Highlight case studies to show your team how poor cyber habits cost other businesses and share examples of what an attempted cyberattack looks like. Learn the seven red flags of phishing, and always be on alert.
  • Implement Information Regulations: Create strict rules on when it is appropriate for an employee to give out personal, sensitive or business-related information through any form of electronic communication or online medium.
  • Implement Browser Best Practices: Combat the inevitability of cybersecurity breach attempts through online websites by communicating browser best practices with your employees. Practices such as firewall implementation, browser monitoring/usage limitations and education on online safety features (such as SSL).
  • Implement Personal Account Regulations: Create regulations surrounding what personal accounts employees can and cannot access on the business network (such as personal banking and email accounts).

Your colleagues are your first line of defence against common cyber attacks, including phishing and ransomware. Did you know that AlphaKOR offers Cyber and Phishing User Training services? These services include dedicated training and educational materials to educate your employees about cybersecurity risks. Click here to learn more.

Your Cyber Security Partner

As Cyber Security Awareness Month comes to an end, be sure to extend what you have learned this past month into your everyday cyber habits! For more tips cyber security awareness tips, be sure to check out all of our CSAM blogs.

For all your cyber security needs, be sure to reach out to our security experts at AlphaKOR! Use the orange chat button on the bottom right of your screen or visit our Contact page to send us a message.

(Originally published on 10.26.22)4

CSAM Week 3: 5 Tips To Prevent Cybercrime

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM). The goal of CSAM is to help Canadians stay cyber-safe by equipping them with knowledge through the following four themes:

This week’s theme, “Prevention” focuses on 5 actionable steps to prevent becoming a victim of cybercrime.

Tip #1: Use Strong and Unique Passphrases and Passwords

Did you know that at least 65% of people reuse the same passwords across multiple sites? Although this makes remembering your credentials easier to do, this also makes your accounts vulnerable to cyberattacks.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeUFL3GTFT0[/embed]

By creating complex passphrases and unique passwords for each site you use, you instantly tighten up your security, making your accounts less attractive to hackers. Some best practices for creating complex passphrases include:

  • Avoiding family, pet, company, and familiar names that can be easily guessed by others
  • Using unique combinations of letters, numbers, symbols, and cases for each site you use
  • Creating passwords with at least 4 words and 15 characters long

Tip #2: Use A Password Manager

Our passwords protect the things that are important to us, such as our financial information, our social media accounts, and more. But with all the platforms and websites we actively use, it can be difficult to keep track of unique and complex passwords for each platform.

Password managers such as Google Password Manager and LastPass can help you create complex passphrases and store them so that you never forget a password again.

Tip #3: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an added layer of security that is catered to you so that only you can access your accounts and private information. This dual layer of security is simple to implement and consists of two or more independent credentials to verify you are who you claim to be. Three of the most common credentials consist of what the user knows (password), what the user has (security token) and what the user is (biometric verification).

Some common forms of MFA include:

  • Fingerprint scanners
  • Voice verification
  • Facial recognition
  • Security questions
  • PIN numbers
  • SMS authentication
  • App-based authenticators
  • Hardware tokens

Implementing MFA is an excellent way to add an extra security layer to your system. Did you know that by adding something as simple as MFA to your accounts, you can protect yourself from 100% of automated bots, 96% of phishing attacks, and 76% of targeted attacks?

In short, MFA works to prevent malicious activity on your network, keeping your sensitive data safe and secure. We suggest you allow MFA everywhere it can be used and if you don’t have the capabilities perhaps it’s time to invest in a little extra digital security.

Tip #4: Regularly Backing Up Your Important Data

Your important data is important! Be sure to keep it safe on your devices so that it does not get lost, corrupted, or fall into the wrong hands. One of the best ways to keep your data safe is to regularly back up your important data.

There are many benefits to taking the time to back up your data, including:

  • Ensuring you always have a backup in case of a disaster such as a cyberattack or breaking your device
  • Freeing up storage space on your device
  • Protecting your special moments from accidental corruption

Backing up files is easy to do! You can back up your data physically and/or digitally. To back up your files physically, you’ll need an external device such as a USB stick or an external hard drive. Once your files are backed up physically, you’ll want to ensure that you keep your external device stored in a safe location.

To back up your data digitally, you can use a reputable online cloud server. There are many great options to choose from! Some online cloud servers offer free storage up until a certain amount, while others have subscription fees.

Whether you decide to back up physically or digitally, choose what works best for you.

Tip #5: Protecting Your Small Business Against Phishing Attacks

No business is too small to become a victim of a phishing attack. In fact, more than half of email scams and phishing attempts target small businesses.

Phishing is a common method that hackers will use to steal valuable information from both individuals and organizations. Phishing scams are often disguised as messages from people and organizations that you trust, making them easier to fall victim to.

It’s important for small businesses to take steps to protect their private and important information. The following are simple tips for small businesses to follow:

  • Only visit legitimate and trusted websites while working from a business computer or device used for business operations
  • Verify that you are only providing personal and business information to trusted sources
  • Always question why your personal information is required when asked for it
  • Do not remove or disable any security safeguards on your business network and devices such as anti-virus software

For more information about securing your small or medium-sized business, check out this guide from Get Cyber Safe.

Stay Cyber Safe

Whether it’s Cyber Security Awareness Month or any other day, always keep cybersecurity practices in mind to keep your cyber safe. For more information about CSAM, tune into our weekly CSAM articles for the month of October.

For all your cybersecurity needs, contact our security experts at AlphaKOR today!

(Originally published on 10.19.22)