Business is a high-risk, high-reward proposition. It takes guts to forego receiving a regular paycheck and instead invest time and energy into selling a product or providing a service. However, it takes more than raw courage to make it in business: one has to have enough sense to recognize opportunities and avoid needless risks.

Newspaper headlines and Hollywood movies have shaped our understanding of computer hackers, but in the real world it’s not so simple. Some hackers are making massive contributions to the field of cybersecurity, it just depends on which hat they’re wearing that day.

Companies such as Apple, Samsung, and others have turned mobile phones into mini-computers that can serve as a substitute for your laptop, or as a storage device. If you’re using a smartphone as a communications and storage device, backing up now would be a wise move.

Because it is cost-effective, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a popular choice today among small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking to upgrade their phone systems. But before you contact just any VoIP distributor, make sure you are dealing with a respectable and trustworthy one.

Office 365 is a complete cloud solution that allows you to store thousands of files and collaborate on them, too. In addition to its productivity features, the service comes with security and compliance solutions that will help businesses avoid the crushing financial and legal repercussions of data loss.

Imagine using a baby monitor to keep an eye on your child while you're in another room. Now imagine a complete stranger doing the exact same thing. How about a hacker taking control of your car? While greater connectivity lets us enjoy more conveniences in our everyday lives, it also makes it easier for ne’er-do-wells to pose a danger to us and our loved ones.

If you’re thinking of transitioning your business to the cloud, consider the security of the platform. While providers would like us to believe that the friendly, fluffy cloud image used to market the service means it is automatically secure, the reality is far different.

Facebook leads all social media platforms in terms of daily active users, audience reach, and cultural impact, but is it the best fit for your business? Every business has a unique audience, so what works for one business may not work for another. With all the available social media platforms to choose from, small- and medium-sized businesses should examine their options before they decide which is the best match for them.

Small- and medium-sized businesses don’t have the time to maintain IT infrastructure, let alone assess whether it’s still driving value for the company. However, if you want to ensure everything runs smoothly, it’s important to be proactive and conduct technology business reviews when you can.

Email is indispensable. Even if your line of work does not demand that you communicate via email, you still need email accounts to sign up for social media sites, shop online, access online financial accounts, subscribe to streaming services — you get the picture.