The first step to setting up a business website is reserving website hosting and a domain name. However, this definitely isn’t where your business website setup ends. If you want to make sure you’re attracting as many customers as possible, you need to set up your business website completely. Here are five steps to take to make sure your website is attracting customers.

1. Create Your Home and About Pages

Your home and about pages will give your potential customers more of an insight into who you are as a business. The home page is the first thing customers see, so make sure it exudes the concepts you’re looking to give off regarding your company. Make sure your home page directs people to contact information or top-selling products.

2. Write Your Product and Services Pages

You need at least one page about products and services that you sell. However, most companies will want a number of different pages for their products and services, especially if they’re directly selling a number of products. Companies that mainly sell services will need a lead generation page, while companies that mainly sell products will need individual product pages.

3. Make a Great Contact Page

This is especially important if you’re selling services that require a custom quote, but all companies should have a good contact page. A good contact page is the first step to top-tier customer service, which can play a big role in whether or not someone comes back to make another purchase. Make sure your contact page is an easy and effective way to contact customer service.

4. Install Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a great way to track the audience that comes to your website. It’s one of the best ways to troubleshoot “problem spots” in your website; if a significant number of people click off your website after going to a specific page, it’s likely that the page itself is causing some problems for visitors. There are plenty of tutorials for installing Google Analytics on your website, including methods of overcoming issues in the installation and use process.

5. Start Doing Email Marketing

When you register a domain name, you’ll likely be able to get an email with that custom domain name. That means you can start reaching out to customers and potential customers through email. It’s a good idea to sign up for an email marketing provider, and you’ll also want to gear your website toward getting customers to give you their email addresses. Discount coupons and free resources are good ways to advertise your email newsletter.

Conclusion

Getting a great domain name and website hosting is the first step to creating a great business website, but it’s definitely not the end of the process. You also need to make sure that your content is interesting to people and that your website guides people to interact with your business. Use this guide to make sure your business website is at its best.

 

Do your Macs need a virus checker? Yes, they do!

Macs are also vulnerable to malicious software. Apple identified flaws in their Intel processor that point to two strains of Mac viruses. As Apple runs a lot of safety precautions, the level of security relies on your familiarity with how to scan for viruses on Mac. 

So, here are a few viruses scanning tips that you need to know: 

How to Scan for Viruses

Why is scanning for viruses on Mac necessary? Like most devices, Macs are likewise unprotected. They are vulnerable to spyware, ransomware, phishing software, adware, and trojans.

Hackers can go through your personal data, files, photos, and videos. With the dangers of viruses, you must have a secure Mac virus scanning tool. 

So how to scan for viruses on your Mac? Here's how to do it:  

• Download a reliable anti-virus software
• Start the app and find Smart Scan 
• See the summary of the virus scan
• Then click to remove any malicious files and apps

Implementing a scan for viruses will get rid of any malware of all forms. In addition, after a virus scan, it will indicate possible threats, and you can remove it immediately.

Consider Manual Virus Scanning

In truth, checking for viruses must be automatic. You should consider running a virus scan once every week as a safety precaution. Nevertheless, not all software has a great virus scanner. 

If you want to run a manual virus scanning on your Mac, here are viruses scanning tips:

• Check for browser extensions 
• Remove suspicious login items
• Delete suspicious apps
• Clear downloads and cache
• Delete any login details that appear unfamiliar

If you don't remember installing a certain app or file on your laptop, be sure to remove it immediately. You can also use anti-virus scanning software to check it out to ensure you're not removing something important.

Consider removing duplicates as well to remove not only possible viruses but also save space. Check the tips here to help you find and remove duplicates on your Mac. 

Have your Mac Protected and Virus-free

Sad to say, viruses don't dwell in a prominent place such as your computer's desktop. They could be in your favored network browser, where they can track and view what you're typing.

When you see strange websites pop up on your search bar, it's a sign that your browser might have malware. A different example is an email app or an application that is following on its patch upgrades.

If you believe one of your apps has a virus, the safe thing to do is delete and reinstall it. Usually, this works, but there are more accessible solutions possible. Clearing the app's cache must be your initial action, and be sure to remove any optional unknown files.

Unfortunately, not all viruses that linger on your computer are easy to identify. Most times, they are root documents that get your messages and passwords and send them to hackers. To completely protect yourself, only install or download apps with valid developer certifications.

Learn How to Scan for Viruses 

You are well on track to being safe and protected from viruses now. Though avoiding viruses is only a start, you also have to understand how to scan for viruses on your Mac. Follow a good measure of caution while downloading files, and only get reliable and efficient apps that can protect your Mac from all types of viruses. 

Want to know more ways you can protect your Mac or computer in general? Check out our collection of guides to learn more!

 Video games have turned into an excellent source of pastime for many years. However, the scenario has changed a little bit now due to the pandemic. Today, everyone wishes to go outside for exploring the real world. And so, video games are turning into an improbable source to find solace now. Recent years have witnessed huge leaps of fascination as well as graphical detail in video games. This charm has extended to the degree where gamers do witness a rightful desire to travel to exotic locations that video games provide.

Image source

Hence, it seems cool for gamers to get themselves involved in the highly predictable sightseeing and travel binge. Some finest video games that comprise cultural wonders and real-world locations that you can explore are:

·         ITALY: Land of Wonders – The protagonist of this game is Elio. You can have a rapport with this old lighthouse keeper while playing this game. Elio, with the assistance of twenty sparks that he retrieved, lights up the sun every morning and it shines over the country brightly.

This game begins at sunset where Elio, who is being referred to as Helios, and who according to ancient Greek mythology the sun God, hunts for a helper who could help him finish his tough job.

And so, Elio orders the mysterious character who was standing out the lighthouse to retrieve twenty sparks. Additionally, he was provided the job of lighting up the lighthouse besides ensuring that the sun shines again. At the time of their journey, these players would confront five Guardians and they would help them in discovering Cuisine, Nature, Design, Performance, and Art.

Towards the finishing of the journey, the players get a surprise; they do take place of Elio and become the novice Lighthouse Keeper intending to protect the treasures of the country. However, initially, they will be required to pass nearly one hundred puzzle game levels and each one of them features a 3-dimensional reconstruction of awe-inspiring landmarks. Additionally, they will discover the cities and castles, mountains and coasts, and the myths and traditions of a particular country. This game features baroque to opera to well-known movie soundtracks and the original scores that are included in this game are inspired by the great classics.

Gamers will come across a collection of six hundred articles, news, fun facts, and stories and this video game does also works in the form of a travel guide. Additionally, it happens to be informative for schools too that teach students foreign languages.

·         Sleeping Dogs – Gamers love to play this game as they can experience high-speed car chases that go through busy streets. And when you turn highly frantic, then you can wander and enjoy some serene sunsets while enjoying the bobbing up and down of the houseboats on the horizon. You can also experience underground gambling dens, bylanes that are filled with Cantonese-speaking people, and karaoke bars.

·         Forza Horizon 4 – This game has emerged from a sequence that has been derived from photorealistic and well-realized words. It opted to set its courses and racetracks all across English countrysides. This game is a road-tip that you can opt to take from your home. The notable thing about this game is the locations and courses of this game have been crafted for providing gamers an English flavor and every pothole and traffic sign will immerse their attention via the dynamic weather technology and it will allow them to be satisfied with the capricious climate of some places.

·         Grand Theft Auto V – Grand Theft Auto V has been redubbed “Los Santos”. This has been done for fitting with the tongue-in-cheek spoof that becomes the tale of GTA V. While playing this game, gamers will come across barbells and squat racks and even the winding roads that take them all across the palatial mansions that belong to the famous and rich. When you explore this game, you will never come across a dull moment and this is the secret behind the huge popularity of this game amount countless gamers.

·         Escape from Tarkov – This is an MMO-RPG and 1^st-person action game that keeps players on the edge of their seats with each match. As this game started with its beta, countless players have got to the stage being mindful of being victorious. They are needed to take control of their character with a mission to survive as well as snag the finest resources for themselves. While playing, you will find scavengers to cross your path and you will be required to defeat them when you wish to escape.

When you have not played this game before and getting to the stage for the very first time then you will be required to use awesome hacks and cheats and they will propel you to the topmost ranks in a little time. You can log in to https://lavicheats.com/escape-from-tarkov-hacks-cheats-2020/ for getting cheats and hacks.

There are billions of different web pages floating on the Internet. Without the ability to troll Google and remember the URLs of every page on every site, there is no way to survive there without a little help.

 

Thankfully, you don't have to roam the web feeling like a zombie in a maze. Navigation has formed the basis of any website and has always done so. Despite the fact that it's a must-have for web design, it has become a sort of retrofit for many designers as they focus on trying to craft content.

 

Navigation remains the most important aspect of building a site, and the beauty of the latest technology is to guide visitors around the site in a variety of innovative ways, making the online experience richer and more rewarding. Means that you can. TimeZero Navigator

 

What is the point of navigation?

 

For the benefit of those who have arrived on Earth in the last few minutes, the basic principle of site navigation is to allow visitors to navigate the website and provide links to all pages. Common sense reasons that it is imperative that your site be easy to navigate, or your guests will soon leave the party for a new meadow.

 

The home page of a website is where visitors make an impression about the overall design, and its importance far outweighs the importance of the other pages that make up the site. The same theory applies to site navigation mechanisms. In short, if you can convince new visitors to step from your home page to one of the subpages, you're endlessly more likely to want to peruse the other fun of your site.

 

Proper site navigation should give visitors a sense of "location" within the site. Even if you establish something for your brand, it should help you maintain consistency across your site. It's important that anyone digging into your site knows how to get back to where they started, otherwise they will frustrate and run away.

 

Navigation systems also encourage users to explore other areas of the site by suggesting relevant pages of interest, and by directing users to more ambiguous links elsewhere in the online of interest. You need to challenge your heart. Ultimately, a top priority when designing site navigation is to ensure that users don't have to work hard to find everything they offer.

 

Traditional navigation

 

In the olden days, navigating the web was a completely different experience than what you see today. Everyone knows that the development of web design software has made it easier to create more beautiful pages with flashy graphics and stylish content, but site navigation has also evolved significantly.

 

In the late 90's, when the Web was just beginning to take shape, the core device for site navigation was trusted text links, and the blue underlined text was a ticket to the world of information. When clicked, the text link turns purple (possibly red), indicating that this is one corner of the web you've already explored. This has made it possible for even beginners on the net to move their heads immediately. .. Of course, these rules are a bit "attractive" in form, but they still apply today.

 

There are several must-have traits of successful software engineers. Being intelligent, obtaining a college degree, and leveraging book smarts can make anyone a good software engineer. To stand out in the development field, multiple personality traits and programming skills must be combined. As an aspiring software engineer, you should strive to stand out in your team, job and career. Certainly, this will lead to new opportunities and growth. This way, you can challenge yourself with a constant learning curve, build a transferrable skillset, and unleash your creativity. To help you get started, read on to learn the must-have traits of successful software engineers.

Full Stack Knowledge

First off, full stack development knowledge is an important trait of successful software engineers.  The most advanced programming full stack is constantly changing with new implementations in a competitive market. Certainly, having experience in full stack programming can help you stand out across the software industry. Full stack leverages the ability to work with various software product layers including the front end, back end, and database. In addition, a knowledge of full stack development allows you to step in, identify problems, and introduce solutions throughout the application development phase. This way, you can connect key functions between different components of the software application. Of course, full stack knowledge is a must-have trait of successful software engineers.

Technical Adaptability

Next, technical adaptability is a vital trait of successful software developers. Work with a wide range of advanced technologies to guarantee a path to success. For example, many developers utilize Helm repositories to streamline privacy, access control, and security. Utilizing a Helm repository by JFrog, you can standardize configuration templates, accelerate testing, and take advantage of enterprise-ready repository management. Of course, this will help you expand job prospects and maximize your earning potential. Absolutely, technical adaptability is a must-have trait of successful software engineers.

Verbal And Written Communication

Then, verbal and written communication is a key trait of successful software developers. Learn the proper communication skills to locate and identify problems correctly. You can utilize written communication skills to develop hypotheses and solutions to vital software issues.  Additionally, verbal communication skills can clarify key concepts by asking the appropriate questions. This way, you will understand ideas without developing a written specifications document. Plus, you should leverage the correct verbal skills to learn numerous languages clearly. Therefore, verbal communication can improve interactions between international software engineers. Definitely, verbal and written communication is a major trait of successful software developers.

Time & Project Management

Of course, time and project management is a crucial trait of successful software engineers. By leveraging management skills, you can assign priorities to manage tasks, milestones and deadlines accordingly. For example, you can create a detailed list to organize and align your projects. Sort these tasks by difficulty. These lists help you complete the most manageable projects before working on more complex tasks. In addition, you can leverage these traits to relieve bottlenecks and prevent any delays. Naturally, strong project management skills will improve your timeline and deliverables across many responsibilities. Surely, time and project management is a must-have trait of successful software developers.      

Product Quality Testing

Afterwards, product quality testing is a required trait of successful software developers. With strong AI-assisted software testing skills, you can locate errors and verify the integrity of your software before displaying to customers. In addition, quality tests can reduce unnecessary work and product development costs. Plus, you can apply product quality testing skills dynamically throughout your software development lifecycle. This way, you can develop a reputation for delivering and deploying quality software products. Indeed, product quality testing is a fundamental trait of successful software developers.

There are several must-have traits of successful software engineers. First off, full stack knowledge works with product layers to help you identify problems, offer solutions, and standout across the software industry. Next, you should leverage technical adaptability to stay updated with the latest software tools and strategies for securing a path to success. For example, you should use Helm repositories to maximize privacy, availability, storage, and access control. Then, verbal and written communication skills help develop hypotheses to clarify concepts and improve overall social interaction. Of course, time and project management leverages detailed lists to prioritize projects in your pipeline. This way, you can balance resource management and gain a better understanding on expected deadline. Afterwards, product quality testing can pinpoint errors, reduce extra work, and prepare your software for deployment. Read the points above to learn the must-have traits of successful software engineers.

 

 

                  Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/ecommerce-online-marketing-internet-3562005/

In the eCommerce business sector, product descriptions play a huge role. But why is that?

Product descriptions are one of the business's last attempts to encourage their prospects to convert to customers. This is where you need to do your best to convince your visitors that your products are exactly the thing they've been looking for.

So, what this means is that your product description is one of the most important elements of your online store. However, even though they can be super effective when done right, writing a good product description can also be quite difficult.

That's why, in this article, we'll explore some of the best ways to write good product descriptions, include helpful step-by-step guides and see how you can test out your product descriptions before you include them in your website.

But let's first define the term.

What are product descriptions?

As the name itself suggests, product descriptions are words you use to describe your products. They can vary from just a couple of sentences to short paragraphs or bullet points.

Most commonly, product descriptions are placed either next to or underneath a product's picture. They can vary in tone and voice, and even in scannability and readability.

And even though there's no "one right way to do it," writing a good product description will include so much more than just simply talking about your products.

5 W's and an H: think who, what, when, where, why and how

You now know that you need product descriptions for your eCommerce store, but you are still not sure how to create them.

What do you say? Which part do you mention first? How long should your description be?

Ideally, you need to aim at saying the most about your product in the shortest way possible and even that's not all, but we'll elaborate on this later.

                   Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/ecommerce-shopping-cart-buying-4849055

So, the best way to approach it is by answering these six questions:

1.      Who is this product for?

Answering this question will enable you to define your target audience (more on this later, as well), which is an extremely important part of running a successful business.

2.      What is so great about the product?

Here, you should include the product's basic details, such as the dimensions, weight, material, specific features, functionality and cost.

3.      When will the product be used?

This part needs to answer when, how often or how long the product can or should be used. Answering this question will add more emphasis to the product's long-term value.

4.      Where will the product be used?

Just like it's important to let your audience know when they should be using your product, you also need to let them know where the product is intended to be used.

5.      Why is this product better than the rest?

In this part, you will simply need to emphasize your product's unique features and explain to your audience why your product is the one they should decide to go for.

6.      How does it work?

Although answering this question won't be necessary for all products out there – if you're selling coffee mugs, chances are people already know how they work – it is extremely important to include if your products include electronics, moving parts or any other product-specific feature.

Define your target audience

We've previously mentioned that defining your audience is important, but we didn't go into detail. So, if you're trying to sell a product, you will first need to define who you're trying to sell the product to.

To understand this, you should define your buyer persona. Think about the age, gender, social status, lifestyle demographic, etc., of the people that would potentially be interested in your product.

Clearly defining who your product is intended for will help you immensely when writing the product description, as all of these factors will influence the relevant data you need to include in your description.

Hone in on the product's benefits

While you may find it interesting to discuss all the features of your product, your potential customers will be mostly interested in one thing – how buying your product will befit them.

So, make sure you hone in on your product's strongest benefits. Therefore, instead of focusing on the product feature (let's say a soy candle made of all-organic components), focus on the product benefits (longer burning time – thus more use, more eco-friendly, etc.)

Let emotions work in your favor

Since people are emotional beings, it's no secret that emotions heavily influence buyer behavior. That's why your product description should also evoke some type of an emotional reaction from your audience.

So, make sure you use words and phrases that evoke positive emotions when writing your product descriptions. For instance, "no more sleepless nights," "(product) will keep your feet warm," "snuggle-up on your couch with (product)," etc., are all phrases that will instantly drive positive feelings in your audience, which will make them more prone to buying.

Use natural language and tone

Keep in mind that you're selling your products to humans, so you need to sound human in your product description as well. When you read your description aloud, it should sound natural and have a natural flow to it.

In other words, your product descriptions should not sound like a computer or a robot generated them, but a real person. A good approach here is to think about how other people describe products they like to their friends and family and try to use the same type of tone and language when creating your descriptions.

Include power words

It's no secret that there are certain words marketers use that simply sell.

For instance, when looking for web design services, people won't go with just any company. Instead, they'll be looking for the best website design company they can find.

                        Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/isolated-desktop-woman-3033206/

So, make sure you let your audience know that your products are "best," "mind-blowing," "stunning," and "great," or that the services you're offering will be "eye-opening," "life-changing," and "top-notch."

Of course, these words are not the only ones you can include in your product descriptions. You can see a full list of these power words here.

Pay attention to form

Another thing that we're mentioned previously is the form of your product description.

Instead of writing an elaborate page-long description about your product, you should try to pack as many useful pieces of information into the shortest form possible. Why?

Well, since the attention span of the general audience is significantly decreasing, you need to make sure that your audience can find all the relevant information as quickly as possible.

A good practice is to include bulleting points into your product description so that your consumers can easily find the answers to any of the questions they may be having.

Optimize for SEO

SEO plays a huge role in determining just how successful your business will be.

The more you cater to the overall SEO rules, the better optimized your eCommerce store will be. And considering the fact that search engines prefer well-optimized websites, this will – in turn – bring more attention to your business by providing you with the opportunity for better SERP (search engine results page) rankings.

Therefore, make sure you include your keywords in your product descriptions to increase your products' searchability.

Optimize for the platform you're advertising on

Another important factor to consider is the platform you're advertising your products on.

For instance, if you opt for Google Ads, you simply won't have as much leeway as you will if you choose to go with Facebook Ads. And if you promote your products on Instagram, you won't follow the same format you would if you were promoting them on your own website.

So, make sure you keep the platform's specific format in mind as well.

Use high-quality visuals

No matter how big or small your business is, and no matter what type of products you're offering, you need to make sure you use only high-quality visuals.

According to experts in web design from New York, the better your offer looks, the more appealing it will be to your audience.

Since product descriptions and visuals go hand-in-hand, you simply can't allow yourself to master one and slack on the other.

Test your product descriptions

In the end, if you've followed the rules closely, you should end up with a good product description. But what you can do to make sure you've truly managed to nail it is take it for a test ride before you include it on your website.

Ask your friends, family and peers to go through your descriptions and give their feedback. This will enable you to notice any weak points that require more work.

Additionally, you can even launch your product descriptions and see how your audience responds to them. You may think that you've created a good description, but if your audience disagrees, you will need to go back to the drawing board.

To sum up

The main goal of your product descriptions is to attract customers and encourage them to make the purchase.

Unless your product descriptions manage to achieve this goal, you will need to identify the weak points and fix them.

Following this guide will be a great place to start, but keep in mind that each business is unique, so you may even end up including some practices that we haven't listed in this article.

 

Author bio

Ellie Northcott is a long-time marketer, currently working as a freelancer in Miami, Florida.

Editor at  DigitalStrategyOne

She is also a passionate writer and loves to explore new, innovative and digital news.

In her spare time, she is an eco-activist.

 

                                          Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/KE0nC8-58MQ

The online market is constantly changing. Businesses are in a rush to adopt new technologies so that they can not only remain relevant to their target audience but also have an opportunity to outrun their competitors.

B2B companies that create products or services that will aid other businesses on their journey know that the competition is fierce. They also understand that their potential clients know what they want, and they won't waste too much time browsing around.

So, how do you make sure that you have as many potential leads as possible?

Simply put, you take them to your website, where they can get all the information they need. However, that part is the tricky one because you can't simply expect people to stumble upon your website.

Instead, you have to grab their interest and show them the way. That's why it's important for your B2B company to develop an efficient marketing campaign that will drive more traffic to your website.

With that in mind, here are a few important ways on how to drive more traffic to your B2B website.

1. Create an effective landing page

Before you start working on driving more traffic to your website, consider what your leads will do when they land on your pages, to begin with. A high amount of traffic doesn't mean much if your bounce rate is high as well.

Therefore, once you do start generating more traffic, you want to ensure that your website visitors will actually remain on your website to explore further. That way, you actually have increased chances of improving your conversion rates.

This is why it's important to create effective landing pages. Their purpose is to capture the attention of anyone who lands there and encourage them to stay. But what are the elopements of an effective landing page? Here are a few examples.

●        A unique selling proposition.

●        A hero image or video.

●        Well-designed layout of a page.

●        The benefits of your product or service.

●        Some form of social proof.

●        A unique call to action (CTA).

If you don't know how to create such a landing page yourself, you can always find an expert to do it for you.

If you happen to operate in Illinois, for example, you will certainly be able to find agencies that specialize in web design in Chicago. It's recommended that you work with a local company because you can communicate and collaborate with them seamlessly.

2. Content marketing

Content is one of the most important marketing strategies for every company. Moreover, content is one of the most efficient methods for driving traffic to your website.

But what is so special about content that B2B marketers find useful?

For starters, 91% of B2B marketers use content to spread the word about their company. If anything can help your company gain the necessary exposure, it is content. However, not just any content will do the trick.

Your content must be high-quality and highly relevant to your potential clients. Otherwise, it won't have the necessary impact. So what kind of content should you create for your target audience? Here's an example.

●        Ensure that your content reaches key decision-makers.

●        Write complete guides.

●        Publish industry case studies.

●        Send weekly newsletters to potential leads.

●        Consider B2B video content.

●        Try focusing on commercial intent keywords.

●        Always be on the lookout for fresh topics.

B2B content may not be as popular as B2C content, but then again, your target audience isn't average consumers.

                                          Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/yktK2qaiVHI
                   Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/wordpress-blogging-writing-typing-923188/

Choosing the right penetration testing company can be a difficult process, especially when you are trying to find one that meets your specific needs. When deciding on a penetration testing company, it is important to consider certifications and compliance. This guide will give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision about which penetration testing company is best for you.

Penetration Testing For Compliance

Penetration testing companies have to be PCI-compliant, HIPAA compliant, FISMA certified, or NIST 800-53 tested. A Pentest can be conducted internally by an organization's IT department. However, these standards require a third-party penetration testing company with experience in the field.

PCI-DSS

Source: Cobalt.io

PCI requires penetration testing services to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which covers 12 specific technical and operational requirements. These include penetration testing of all public-facing web applications, penetration testing of internal networks and wireless LANs, penetration tests that check for default and well-known passwords and security vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection attacks).

GDPR

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a major overhaul of the data protection laws within Europe. GDPR requirements for penetration tests include ensuring penetration testing services are aware of what personal data needs to be protected with strict confidentiality measures. Also, it has to maintain records that provide evidence that appropriate security measures have been taken.

ISO 27001

The ISO 27001 standard specifies the required elements of an Information Security Management System. A penetration test is one requirement for organizations seeking to comply with this standard.  ISO 27001 penetration testing requires testers to identify and report vulnerabilities, provide recommendations for fixes, and recommend procedures that will help maintain security.

HIPAA

Penetration testers conducting HIPAA compliance audits need to meet all of the HIPAA Rules as a covered entity, or business associate working on behalf of another covered entity or group practice. This means ensuring physical safeguards such as access controls are in place so only authorized personnel can enter data areas; software is installed properly; systems administrator privileges are controlled, and penetration tests are conducted by penetration testing companies that follow the HIPAA Rules.

NIST 800-53

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is part of the U.S Department of Commerce. One publication of NIST is NIST SP 800-53 Revision four, titled “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems”. This penetration testing standard requires penetration testers to develop and report on security control(s) for information systems and control enhancements.

Choosing A Penetration Testing Company

Now let’s look at some of the factors that determine which penetration testing company you should choose:

1) Cost

Penetration testers can charge by the hour and can range anywhere from $50-$200 an hour depending on experience. Penetration testing companies might also charge a flat penetration test fee. This can range anywhere from $500 to $15,000 depending on the size and complexity of the system. However, you need to make sure penetration testers are experienced enough for your company's needs. It might cost more in the long run if they miss something important during a penetration test.

2) Reference and Experience

You also want a penetration testing company that will provide you references upon request. This is because penetration testers are supposed to do their own research when carrying out penetration tests. So, penetration testing companies should have no problem providing you with references, especially if they are reputable.

You also want to look for an experienced penetration testing company. Penetration testers with over two years of security penetration testing experience can better handle penetration tests, in addition to being more familiar with penetration test standards such as PCI-DSS.

3) Communication

Penetration testing companies also need to have the ability to communicate well with you. This is because penetration tests can be lengthy and complicated depending on your company's infrastructure. So, they should have no problem understandably explaining their findings.

4) Reporting

Penetration testers need to provide a penetration test report and recommendations. These reports should not only include the findings, but also suggestions on how you can fix them or make your company more secure in future penetration tests. It should include the penetration test objective, as well as a list of all vulnerabilities found during the penetration test with the details on what the penetration tester did to find it.

5) Penetration Test Recommendations

A penetration testing company should provide you with recommendations for how to fix the penetration test findings. This way, you can avoid making similar mistakes in future penetration tests or make your company more secure overall.

Conclusion

Choosing the right company to do your penetration testing can be difficult, but this article has given you some things to consider. Consider what standards and compliances are important for your business before making a decision. The next time you’re looking for a penetration testing company, ask yourself these questions to make sure they will be able to help your organization.

Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology that can be used to create an immutable record for digital transactions. Blockchain has been touted as the key to reducing fraud and speeding up transaction times, but it also presents blockchain security issues. This post examines blockchain’s potential weaknesses in detail, so you know what you are dealing with when securing your system.

Working of Blockchain (Source: plug and play tech center)

Some Common Blockchain Security Issues

Blockchain security is important because it is, in its simplest form, a database. Blockchain networks constitute nodes that hold copies of the blockchain’s data and share it via peer-to-peer connections. Therefore, it is vital to learn about blockchain security issues.

Blockchain Credential Theft

A blockchain uses digital signatures to identify users with an address made up of a series of numbers and letters. Blockchain security risk arises because this identification method doesn’t take into account one important piece of information: your face. This can make it easy for someone else who has access to your login credentials either through hacking or social engineering (ie phishing ) attacks to gain control over transactions without being detected.

Credential theft presents serious risks, including unauthorized spending, money laundering, and even identity fraud. Blockchain security issues caused by credential theft can only be detected after the fact. So, it’s important to keep your digital identity as secure as possible at all times.

Blockchain Data Storage & Local Hacks

In addition to being a type of distributed ledger technology, a blockchain is also a form of data storage. In order to participate on the network, users must download an entire copy of the chain onto their devices. This represents another potential point where hackers could access your system and compromise its integrity from within. That is if they gain physical control over one or more nodes that are storing pieces of information necessary for consensus across all other points on the network.

Data storage vulnerabilities make it easy for attackers who manage to gain access and launch a successful data breach. It can make it easy for them to steal or manipulate information, including cryptocurrency tokens. You can mitigate these blockchain security issues by keeping your node up-to-date on the latest updates through automated processes.

Blockchain & Identity Fraud

New technologies often introduce new problems that need solving, and blockchain is no exception. Blockchain identity fraud occurs when someone else takes over control of your account credentials without authorization. After this, they perform transactions using another name, address, Social Security number (SSN), passport number, etc.

It creates digital signatures that prove ownership. However, cybercriminals manage to break into accounts represented only by random strings of characters can use stolen access credentials to impersonate legitimate users by substituting their own address in place of the original owner’s.

Identity fraud presents serious risks because it makes data theft and other kinds of crimes far easier for attackers. You can mitigate these blockchain security issues by implementing strong authentication measures that require two-factor authentication (2FA) when signing into blockchain applications.

Blockchain & Money Laundering

Criminals try to conceal or disguise the origins of illegally obtained funds so they appear as though they were earned legitimately through legal business activities or transactions. Criminals may attempt this through a variety of methods. For example, they use fake invoices to conceal the true nature of a transaction. They also transfer money from one account to another through intermediary accounts in order to anonymize their identities. Lastly, they cover up any links that might be traced back to them.

You can mitigate these blockchain security issues by implementing real-time transaction monitoring programs within blockchain networks. This enables you to monitor your transactions for suspicious activities and flag them immediately. You can check the penetration testing cost here by an external team.

Blockchain & Privacy Concerns

The last set of issues related to Blockchain technology is all about privacy concerns. In its current form, Blockchain doesn’t provide anonymity. Every user on the network maintains an address made up entirely of random strings of numbers and letters, with no personal data attached at all. This means you can easily use blockchain to track transactions and user activity, but not the individuals behind those activities.

You can mitigate these privacy-related blockchain security issues by implementing blockchain platforms that include private and public networks within a single platform. This way you get maximum control over your data access. You can also use tracking tools like Blockchain analytics software which makes it possible for you to monitor all activity across chain networks.

Conclusion

Blockchain is a technology that holds the promise of being able to store and process data in a secure, decentralized way. With this type of database system, it would be difficult if not impossible for someone with malicious intent to alter or destroy records without authorization. The security issues present within blockchain need to be addressed before it will become truly revolutionary as a storage medium.