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Nobody likes surprises in business. Using a risk-based approach to identify your organization’s likely vulnerabilities is highly recommended and vital to short-term and long-term success. Expanding regulations make compliance increasingly complex and expensive, and increases in deficient internal audit controls have heightened scrutiny of companies by the SEC, PCAOB, and investors.

Business surprises are preventable, but there are several common issues with risk identification that can be impossi

Just because a job recruiter says he’s from (fill in blank—any huge corporation) doesn’t mean the job can’t be a scam. Anyone could say they’re from Microsoft or Google. Impersonating a representative from a big-name company is one way to fool gullible job seekers.

Another way is to advertise the scam jobs on radio because the scammer knows that listeners will think, “It has to be legit if it’s on the radio.” Scammers will post their job ads anywhere.

An article on consumer.ftc.gov lists the follo

The 2015 Social Media Glossary: 207 Essential Definitions

Source:

Dara Fontein

Hootsuite

Dara is a Blog Writer at Hootsuite. She writes about social media, technology, and Hootsuite happenings.

A lot can change in a year, especially in the world of social media. It can be difficult to keep up with all of the terms and slang used with the introduction of new technologies and platforms, so we decided it was time to update our Social Media Glossary. Like previous editions of the glossary, this is a livi

Studies across the board indicate that weak usernames and passwords are one of the top causes of data breaches, and I find that information to be unfortunate, because it is preventable. According to a recently concluded survey conducted by uSamp and sponsored by Siber Systems, creators of the RoboForm Password Manager: 70% reported forgetting a password, or had a password become compromised, in their professional life in the US.

• More organizations are enacting policies where employees can use the

While data breaches have dominated the news cycle, The Wall Street Journal’s “Risk and Compliance Journal,” reports that fraud is actually much more common, even if it generates fewer headlines.

In the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2015, instances of retail fraud averaged a 94% increase from the prior year when calculated by average loss of revenues. Industry reaction to this news has been relatively predictable: as many companies have decided to devote a higher percentage of their budget to pre

Sweden Aims To Become The World’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Nation

Source:

 Amanda Froelich

True Activist

11 October 2015

Powered by Sweden plans to become one of the first nations in the world to thrive on 100% renewable energy.

There are quite a few things to love about Sweden. Not only is the eco-conscious nation considering implementing a ‘meat tax’ to reduce its carbon footprint, the country has literally run out of trash to incinerate for energy and, therefore, must import garbage from its neighbor

You need not be a celebrity or some big wig to suffer the devastating fallout of your online images (and videos) being stolen or used without your permission.

So how does someone steal your image or use it without your permission?

Hacking

• Hacking is one way, especially if passwords are weak and the answers to security questions can easily be figured out (e.g., “Name of your first pet,” and on your Facebook page there’s a picture of you: “My very first dog, Snickers”).
• Malware can be installed on you

You’ve heard the term “consumer report.” Many times, I’m sure. But do you really know what one is? If you’re nodding your head, would you be able to explain it to a Martian? If not, then you probably do not have a solid understanding of what one is.

But lenders, landlords, creditors, employers and insurers certainly know what a consumer report is, because every time they’re about to deal with a new client, they put themselves at risk.

• Is he in good health?
• Will she stop paying her mortgage?
• Will he

Last Blog I wrote about how you need to understand your motivation to make sure you are answering the right question when you set your objectives. This Blog asks you to think about setting objectives over three time horizons.

My colleague Dr Andrew Pratley introduced me to the Three Horizons of Growth concept introduced by Mehrdad Baghai, Lar Bradshaw, Stephen Coley and David White in their 1999 paper in the Journal of Business Strategy. Their thesis was that in order to sustain growth you need t

Have a small business? Great. Have two-factor authentication for your accounts? If you’re not sure of the answer to that question, you could be in trouble. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the perfect time to learn more about cyber security. As a small business owner, you certainly have thought about data breaches. They don’t just happen to giants like Target and Sony. The common thread in many data breaches is that the hackers got the password.

Once a hacker has a password, th

Chapter 9-Project Integration of my recently published book Risk-management in the World of Threats and Opportunities: A Project Controls Perspective discusses the challenges that many Project Managers are facing. One item that throws many to fits is project integration. It is a project requirement with varying level of complexities. Some have successfully toe the line but many just fail.

Integration happens throughout the project lifecycle using continuous collaboration. It becomes a big challen

Canada: The Trans-Pacific Agreement Will Sap Whatever Is Left of Our Sovereignty

Source:

 Nadia Alexan

The Canadian Charger

7 October 2015

If you really think we live in a free and independent society, think again. What sovereignty are we left with, when we have already forfeited our birthright to multinationals?

What freedom are we talking about when a private company can challenge our laws in court, according to the various so-called free-trade agreements, negotiated by our governments in secret: NA

Is it easier for crooks to prey on senior citizens, or is it that most targets are the seniors?

Well, one thing’s for sure: A disproportionate percentage of identity theft complaints come from people 50-plus (though I’m sure some readers would hardly consider 50-somethings to be seniors—but you get the point).

Some scammers go after seniors because they know that many older people have a lot of money saved up. And it’s also no secret that many seniors aren’t as sharp as they used to be, and also a

Most experts in cybersecurity suggest that computer users utilize a password manager, and I think they have a great point. These managers ensure that you can use a unique, strong password for all online account. On the flip side, there are naysayers that state a password manager isn’t as safe as you might think, as if the master password is discovered, it could give someone access to all of your information. So, who is right?

According to a recently concluded survey conducted by uSamp and sponsor

Taking Control of Our Money

Source:

Public Banking Institute

This is a great introduction to public banking. America has plenty of money--but it's all under the control of private banks. This video uses economic reality, clips from "It's a Wonderful Life," and other methods to bring home the key points that banks create the money they lend, and that the privatization of finance has been a disaster. It explains public banking's potential to lower the costs of funding public goods--because, after all

You may have been scammed after you responded to an e-mail that appears it came from Apple. When hackers send e-mails that appear to come from a legitimate company like Apple (or Google, Microsoft, PayPal, etc.), with the objective of tricking the recipient into typing in passwords, usernames, credit card information and other sensitive data, this is called phishing.

Many phishing scams are in circulation, including the Apple one. Hackers know that tons of people have Apple accounts. So if they r

Europe to Build Up New Centers of Power

Source:

Foreign Policy Diary/South Front

Global Research, October 07, 2015

People, who believe that the European Union is a monolithic entity that conducts business that benefits individual European nations, have made a huge mistake. Today, the EU is a crumbling bureaucratic intergovernmental organization with several centers of power serving their own interests.

Each of these are seeking to convert the EU into a super state controlling Western Eurasian, exploi

Many people, including myself, make mistakes with their passwords and use them on site after site. To remain safe, it’s important to use a unique, strong password on every site you visit. How do you do this the easy way? Use a password manager.

According to a recently concluded survey conducted by uSamp and sponsored by Siber Systems, creators of the RoboForm Password Manager, the results indicate that people have some idea of the scale of the password challenge: More than half said they felt str

Out with old risk metric, in with the new. Welcome to Expected Shortfall

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has been revising its market risk framework since 2012.  The result of its ‘fundamental review of the trading book’ (FRTB , BCBS 219) is expected to be implemented by January 2018, with 2016-17 scheduled for calibration and testing. The consultation phase for the new regulatory framework is still ongoing and has featured several Quantitative Impact Studies, highlighting the framewo

What’s Wrong with Britain? Poor Housing, Education and Health in Crisis

Source:

Lesley Docksey

Global Research, October 05, 2015

One glance on Sunday morning at The Guardian website demonstrated quite clearly what is wrong with Britain – and, probably, the rest of the ‘developed’ world. Three major concerns of the average household were news. And all three are connected, not just to each other, but to the way this country is being run.

Housing and the ‘Right to Buy’

This country has never recovered fr