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As a business owner, executive or manager, you may use a lawyer for many different reasons. You may need a lawyer to look over your business contracts, to help when you buy or sell a business, to help you with any tax issues that may arise or to help with any personal injury lawsuits that may arise within your business. Friday, November 2, 2018, is Love Your Lawyer Day. This is a day that is set aside to honor lawyers and all that they do for individuals and businesses. On this special day, you may be looking to celebrate your lawyer, but you may not be sure how. Here are a few of the different ways you can recognize and celebrate your attorney on Love Your Lawyer Day.

Give Them a Phone Call

One of the simplest ways that you can celebrate Love Your Lawyer Day is by giving your lawyer a phone call on this day. The phone call does not have to be long and the conversation does not have to be in depth. Simply let them know that you appreciate the work that they are doing for you and you are grateful for the services they provide. A simple compliment and nice words can go a long way in brightening someone’s day and making them feel appreciated.

Send Them a Card

If you do not like to talk on the phone or you want to send something to your lawyer, you can send them a card. A thank you card or other similar note that lets them know that you are thankful for their hard work has the same impact as a phone call that praises them. If you want to do something a bit more than a card, you can always include a gift card to their favorite coffee shop or restaurant, or you can send flowers along with the card.

Post a Positive Review Online

Online reviews are important to businesses. When someone is seeking out a lawyer, they may do a Google search to see feedback on an attorney or law firm. You can help the lawyer who helps you by leaving a positive online review for the attorney this Love Your Lawyer Day. Unless we are mad or upset, many of us do not leave online reviews. Take the time to let other people know just how wonderful your attorney is and all of the positive things they do for your business.

Order Something for Their Business

Another gesture you can make when you are looking to celebrate Love Your Lawyer Day is to order something for their business. Have you ever spent time with your lawyer and noticed that they don’t have something that could help them get a little more organized? Or have they complained that they recently lost or misplaced something? It can be as simple as a business card holder or a Bluetooth speaker for their work desk. Personalized gifts that you put thought into are always appreciated.

Have Lunch Delivered

Speaking of items that are always appreciated, the last way you can celebrate Love Your Lawyer Day is by having lunch delivered to your lawyer. Who doesn’t love food being delivered right to their desk? If you know what kind of food your lawyer enjoys, consider ordering them a meal and having it delivered. Give them a heads up that you have a treat arriving and at what time to make sure they will be in the office though before you place the order.

This Friday, November 2, 2018 is Love Your Lawyer Day. This is the perfect day to recognize all of the hard work that your lawyer is doing for you or your business. There are many way you can recognize your lawyer, including giving them a phone call, sending a card, posting a positive review online, ordering something for their business or having lunch delivered. No matter how big or small, take the time to recognize your lawyer and let them know how appreciated they are this Love Your Lawyer Day.

How do you usually shop when you need something like a gift for a friend, a new pair of shoes, or a bike for your son or daughter? Today more than ever before, Americans make a beeline for the computer or a big box store when it comes to getting through their shopping list.

And it’s not just clothes, toys, and gifts we buy at these places. Paper towel, cell phones, greeting cards, and all your groceries can be purchased at the same time — with just one trip to a large chain store or one click of a button.

So where does this leave the little guy — small businesses?

Small businesses are closing up shop, and fewer new businesses are opening than ever before. Unfortunately for everyone, this means less support to locally-run firms, more unemployment, cheaper goods, terrible customer services, and small towns that suffer.

But you can help!

Small Business Saturday is a way to pump life into the small businesses here in the U.S. — and around the world. Here’s a bit more about this special annual event and how you can participate this year!

What Is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a day that celebrates small businesses of all kinds around the country. This includes all types of independent retailers from locally-owned gyms, grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants to artists and craftsmen who sell their goods online, local farmers, and more.

When Is Small Business Saturday?

Every year in the United States, Small Business Saturday is celebrated on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, 2018, Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday, November 24^th.

How Did Small Business Saturday Start?

Especially since the 1960s, when the modern American shopping mall came into existence, big box stores and chains have taken over what was once a country dominated by small local businesses. Small and even medium-sized towns have seen their small businesses obliterated when bigger chain stores come into town. Usually, the smaller retailers can hold out for at least a year, but inevitably, it’s the big guys who win out.

Small Business Saturday started as a way to pump some life back into the small businesses around our nation — to honor and recognize them. The first celebration of this holiday was only celebrated in Massachusetts in 2010. It was created as a way to work against Black Friday, which inevitably favors large chain stores and retailers.

But since that time, the holiday has spread throughout the nation. From the start, Small Business Saturday was sponsored by both the non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation and by American Express. There are now Small Business Saturday celebrations in the UK and elsewhere around the world as well.

Why Participate in Small Business Saturday?

If you’re a small business owner, it, of course, makes sense to raise awareness of your business and other small businesses around the nation and the world on this day!

If you’re not a business owner, it also makes sense. That’s because consumers like you profoundly impact whether or not small businesses are able to get off the ground or maintain their business. By patronizing small businesses on this day — and raising awareness for others — you’re putting your money where your mouth is and let the world know that you appreciate small businesses and want them to stick around.

How Can Small Businesses Participate in Small Business Saturday?

Small businesses should prepare for Small Business Saturday by promoting the day online and in-store. You might consider holding a special event, an open house, or the release of a new product or service on this day. For more inspiration, head here to Shop Small®’s Get Inspired page.

How Can Others Participate?

If you’re a consumer, the best way to participate in Small Business Saturday is to buy from and patronize small businesses!

This might mean shopping at your local grocery store instead of the big chain supermarket in your town. It might mean grabbing a coffee at a local café instead of a chain coffee shop. Or it could mean ordering a piece of art, a tool you need, or something else from an independent retailer online.

Don’t Forget to Spread the Word!

Lastly, whether you’re a shopper or you own or work at a small business yourself, one of the biggest things you can do to support Small Business Saturday is spread the word.

Tell your friends and family about Small Business Saturday, use the hashtag #ShopSmall on social media, and of course, don’t forget to get out there and spend your money at small businesses in your area this Saturday, November 24^th, 2018!

Heads up if you’ve stayed or made reservations at a Marriott or Starwood property over the last decade. A major security issue was just announced and the scope of the problem is actually quite astonishing. Here’s what you need to know about the Marriott International data breach.

What is the Marriott Data Breach?

On November 30th, Marriott International announced that the private information of up to 500 million guests became compromised. The breach is one of the largest in history and brings up a variety of concerns regarding consumer privacy safety.

They noted that an internal tool recognized a data breach in September, but wasn’t able to confirm the issue was part of the Starwood database until November. Further investigation revealed that the problem has happened since as far back as 2014 and that the exact breadth of the issue isn’t yet known.

Who is Affected by the Marriott Data Breach?

To be blunt, 500 million people is a lot. If you’ve traveled on business in the past or regularly stay at the hotel chain’s properties, your personal data is likely compromised. Additionally, those who merely made reservations but never actually stayed the night are also included in the breach.

According to NBC News, Marriott also reported that for 327 million of those people, the information includes some combination of a name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preferences. Encrypted credit card information is also likely stolen, but the company isn’t yet sure if the thieves were able to reveal account numbers.

An additional report also suggested that employee information might have even been compromised, especially in situations where workers took advantage of employee discounts to stay at hotels around the globe.

What is Marriott Doing After the Data Breach?

While the initial statement from the company was vague, they have taken steps to improve the situation by hiring the public relations firm Kroll. Those concerned about being part of the Marriott data breach may check for more information at a website provided by the hotel chain.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh is opening an investigation into the incident, citing the company headquarters in his state as the reasoning for his inquisition. Additionally, New York planned to look into the incident and other states where the company has properties are likely to follow. There is no word yet on how the breach is being reviewed internationally.

Furthermore, within hours of the news, a class action lawsuit for 12 billion dollars was filed by Ben Meiselas of Geragos & Geragos. The suit is on behalf of two plaintiffs who feel duped by the company not immediately admitting there was a security issue. In other cases in the past are any indication, there’s likely to be a settlement out of court soon.

What Can Other Companies Learn from Marriott’s Data Breach?

At this time, it is hard to tell what other companies can learn from Marriott International’s data breach since news of the incident is still relatively recent. Other companies have faced similar issues in the past, such as Yahoo’s admission earlier this year that the three billion accounts had information hacked and Under Armour’s data breach of 150 million MyFitnessPal user accounts. Those companies were able to provide customers with free credit monitoring to try to earn back trust, but time will still tell on how it affects each firm’s reputation overall. Both have made attempts to increase application cybersecurity.

In short, if you have made a reservation or stayed at a Marriott Hotel or Starwood property in the last few years, it is wise to invest in some version of identity theft monitoring. Also, consider additional discussion and concerns with your lawyer general and by making a claim on Marriott’s data breach website.

SamSam Ransomware is becoming a massive problem for multiple industries across the United States. In fact, the problem is so big that The Department of Homeland Security, (DHS), National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, (NCCIC), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), have all recently issued a US-CERT alert due to the SamSam ransomware. Like other types of ransomware, files and networks are infected. In exchange for uninfected the system, hackers want a ransom, that typically costs thousands upon thousands of dollars. Every company that runs a network needs to be aware of SamSam ransomware. Here is what you need to know about this topic.

What is SamSam Ransomware?

SamSam ransomware is a type of ransomware that is designed to exploit Windows servers to gain access to your network. Once it is in the network, it uses the JexBoss Exploit Kit to access your JBoss applications. This type of ransomware is also able to use Remote Desktop Protocol to access your network. The virus is difficult to detect, due to the path it takes to access your system. Once the virus has made its way inside, hackers are able to get administrators rights, putting their malware on your server and basically hijacking your network. They do not release their hold on their network until you pay them the ransom they are asking.

What Can You Do to Decrease Your Chances of Getting SamSam Ransomware?

It is extremely important that you take the correct precautions to decrease your chances of getting infected with SamSam ransomware.

One of the steps you can take is to enable strong passwords and an account lockout policy. If you have strong passwords and a good lockout policy in place, it makes it much harder for the software to hack into your system and infect it. Enabling multi-factor authentication can also help. Before any new software can be installed, before software can be wiped or before changes can be made to your network, authentication is needed. The more authentication levels you have, the harder it will be for any ransomware to infect your system.

Unfortunately, while you can decrease your chances of getting infected with SamSam ransomware, there is no way to prevent infection altogether. As such, it is essential that you regularly install system and software updates and maintain a great backup system for all of your data and systems. This way, if you do get infected, you have a recent back-up for all of your system and data. You can wipe your current, infected system and start fresh from your backup point, without losing much at all.

How Can You Learn More About SamSam Ransomware?

If you are looking to learn more about SamSam ransomware, including the technical details surrounding it. It is highly recommended that you read through the SamSam Malware Analysis Reports that have been released by the US-CERT. A list of the reports, including links, are included here:

• MAR-10219351.r1.v2 – SamSam1
• MAR-10166283.r1.v1 – SamSam2
• MAR-10158513.r1.v1 – SamSam3
• MAR-10164494.r1.v1 – SamSam4

SamSam Ransomware is infecting computer systems and networks in multiple industries all across America. It is important that you learn what this ransomware is and how to protect yourself against it. Taking the right action can help to minimize the chances of your network being held ransom by SamSam ransomware.

Even though the word App is relatively new, it has become popular in everyday terminology as its uses have changed lives in the modern world. Almost all mobile phones are now smartphones, so even those individuals who were apprehensive about using new technology now use apps on a daily basis. That is why we now celebrate National App Day every year on December 11.

What is an App?

The word “App” was listed as the word of the year by the American Dialect Society in just 2010, showing just how quickly apps have become a regular part of society. But people already use the word so much they don’t really think of where it comes from. While the term “app” is short for “application,” common usage has changed the meaning.

An app is actually a kind of computer software or a program, and now usually refers to a very small one used on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Initially, the term could have meant any mobile or desktop application, but the term has quickly evolved to conform to the way people use it. Now there are thousands of apps, and some individuals and businesses design and run their own apps to make specific tasks easier.

Kinds of Apps and Main Uses

There are three basic kinds of apps, but Web Application Apps are used through a browser and Hybrid Apps have characteristics of both Web Application Apps and Native Apps. Native Apps are the ones used on mobile devices, and they only work on certain devices and have a special source code.

Of course, once someone understands how apps work they can create a new one to perform specific functions. Apps are available on Google Play for Android users, Apple’s App Store, the Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry App World. There are currently millions of apps, and prices range as widely as uses. Some apps are entirely free, while others have a recurring rate.

• Apps can be used for communication, including encrypted phone calls or video phone.
• Apps can be used for entertainment, providing movies, books and music.
• Travel apps provide needed information and tools, helping with everything from transportation to finding the closest restaurant.
• Many people use apps for games, playing simple games like solitaire or complicated games with players around the world.
• Many apps provide important tools, helping people organize their homes or perform essential functions at work.

There is no reason to think the proliferation of apps will slow down any time soon, if ever. It only remains to be seen how many people will adopt these handy tools to perform more and more specific jobs. Hopefully, people will be thinking of the endless possibilities as they celebrate National App Day on December 11.