security

12/06/2017 By Jason Bean Leave a Comment

How Much Can Identity Theft Impact Your Life?

Identity theft is at an all-time high in today’s digital world. Identity theft can happen to anyone including teenagers browsing their smartphones to middle-aged families securing their nest egg. Security is no longer guaranteed and crucial steps need to be taken to make sure safety is within reach. Last year alone, 15 million people lost over $16 billion due to identity theft. Identity theft doesn’t stop with just bank accounts either. Medical records, credit scores, and even criminal records are at a higher risk.

The most common form of identity theft starts with an unauthorized credit card or bank account charge. About 86% of fraud victims initially notice the intrusion by noticing an unauthorized charge on their bank account or credit card. Those diligent enough to find the unauthorized charges early usually have the charge taken care of within a couple of hours. Not all cases are so quick. Some identity theft cases can take years to resolve and 25% of cases are never fully solved. As a freelancer, you also need to understand the importance of protecting your credit as well.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking platforms have become a hotbed for identity theft. Social networkers have a 46% higher risk of identity theft. Online shopping also carries a higher risk. Your risk raises 30% online than in traditional brick and mortar stores. Taking steps such as clearing your card information in your browser, creating complex passwords, and securing your online shopping purchases can help protect that extra money you worked hard for safe from identity theft.

Whether you’re 18 and graduating high school or 80 and making your retirement fund last, keeping an eye on your digital footprint is more important than ever. Check out the infographic from Investment Zen below. It shows extra information on the risks of identity fraud as well as a additional information to keep you safe from harm. If you suspect identity fraud at any time, call the Federal Trade Commission and file a report.

Via: InvestmentZen.com

11/17/2017 By Jason Bean 1 Comment

How Manufacturers Keep Medical Devices Sterile and Safe

Cyber-security has added a new dimension to medical device safety, and the FDA is urging device manufacturers to begin incorporating digital security into safety procedures, the administration’s blog reports. With devices such as implantable cardiac pacemakers and insulin pumps now incorporating digital technology connected to the Internet of Things, a computer security breach can now threaten the lives of patients as well as their medical records. To address this, the FDA has released guidelines for medical manufacturers on how to incorporate digital security into safety procedures throughout product life-cycles, starting during the design phase. These guidelines aim to help manufacturers prevent risks as well as manage any risks that do emerge.

While the digital dimension of medical device safety is new, device manufacturers have long been required to take steps to ensure product safety. Here’s a look at how medical manufacturers keep the devices they produce sterile and safe for consumers.

Material Selection

Strategic material selection lays a foundation for safe medical devices. In order to remain sterile, medical device parts are often made of special materials that are resistant to heat expansion, chemical change, and gas permeation. They must also come in very precise sizes to retain a good seal as they are used. Medical o-rings actually come in over 7,000 sizes. Some of the highly specialized materials used include liquid silicone rubber (LSR), which can withstand a range of temperature from -85 degrees F to 400 degrees F. LSR can also retain its properties during sterilization processes involving gamma radiation, ethylene oxide and steam, enabling it to meet United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary safety standards, which represent compliance with federal law. LSR is further resistant to cleaning agents and microbial growth. The properties of liquid silicone rubber make it ideal for medical applications such as syringes, as well as face masks or inhalers. (Read more: guide to sources of ventolin online and their reviews)

Manufacturing Process

The materials used for medical devices must go through special processes in order to remain sterile. Best-in-class medical device manufacturers use medical device cleanrooms that meet different classes of regulatory standards. Cleanrooms control contamination by careful monitoring to ensure that contaminants are not concentrated at more than a specified number of particles per cubic meter of a given particle size. Highly refined filters and recirculation of purified air help ensure air quality. Staff must enter the room through secure air locks while wearing protective clothing. Substances that could potentially contaminate products are banned from the cleanroom, and furniture and other items are kept to a minimum. Special walls that can be wiped down with antiseptic may also be used to maintain strict conditions and humidity may be controlled.

Shipping and Handling

Rigorous shipping and handling policies also help ensure medical device safety. Packages intended for use in shipping medical devices must be tested for compliance with International Organization for Standardization safety guidelines. Medical device manufacturers must demonstrate that package barriers ensure sterility over the duration of the product’s intended life-cycle. The medical packaging must also hold up under testing to ensure integrity during the handling, distribution, and storage processes. Environmental controls, artificial aging and simulation of distribution are used to test package integrity. Inspectors check for factors such as leaks, seal strength, plastic tears and puncture resistance. Packaging labels must also provide directions for use and warnings against unsafe practices.

Once medical devices and medical gas outlets arrive at medical facilities, medical staff take additional steps to ensure safe handling and storage. Hospital loading docks and warehousing services follow special materials management procedures to ensure that devices remain sterile during storage and preparation for use. Items such as sterile instruments and medical pumps are often stored in a separate sterile processing department for extra protection.

10/04/2017 By Jason Bean Leave a Comment

4 Reasons Security Cards or Badges Are Essential for Your Business

Every business must maintain control of the movements in and out of its facilities at all times. Most businesses have adopted modern security technologies, especially at the main entrances to secure their assets. Employees are required to key in certain codes or use biological characteristics to access facilities. Some of these technologies have replaced security badges. Many businesses now rely on digital IDs instead of traditional badges. While modern technologies are more reliable than traditional security measures, businesses need to maintain ID badges. Here are the main advantages of security badges.

Enhanced security

The main reason why ID cards were introduced was to improve security in organizations. Businesses can control movements in their premises when employees and visitors display badges at all times. Security personnel can also identify the employees or visitors who have access to different rooms or sections in a day. Most identification badges have magnetic strips that enable employees to access each room. It is easy to track movements when security cards are integrated with other security technologies in the facilities. In addition, the ID cards have photos of the rightful owners, which eliminates the possibility of sharing security badges.

Better customer relationships

Personalized customer service is hard to achieve in large organizations. Such organizations attend to tens of customers every day who have just a few minutes with the employees. In fact, most organizations have replaced face-to-face interactions with emails, phone calls, and chats. Some clients still prefer to the traditional methods of communication and will prefer to speak to the customer service staff in person. When staff members have security badges on them, customers can identify the staff with their name and position.

Improving employee accountability

A business must involve its employees in its efforts to keep all assets secure. Employees organize most of the security breaches in organizations. ID cards make employees accountable for their movements and actions. With enhanced features on the badges, security personnel can track all the movements. Employees are aware of these possibilities and are less likely to access restricted areas.

Building employee relations

In a small business, employees can identify their workmates with their names and positions. The same is impossible in large organizations where new employees are hired every other month. Building employee relationships is harder when employees have different work shifts. However, employees can learn their colleagues’ names from their security badges. The badges are helpful to new employees who may take a longer period to know all the employees in the organization. Managers can also identify employees with their names and departments easily.

New security technologies emerge every year to help businesses secure their facilities and assets. The technologies are more reliable and harder to breach than the traditional technologies. However, some traditional measures such as security badges are still relevant to the modern business world. The benefits of security badges go beyond securing the business, along with other methods of keeping your workplace safe and secure. The badges enhance relationships among employees and between employees and clients. Security badges work best when integrated with other security technologies in the business.