As a business owner, you’ve probably run into a million issues with your computers, such as malware, cyberattacks, and slow internet connections, among others. But have you ever needed to run an application on all of your computers, only to realize that it’s not made for your current system? If this is what you’re going through, virtual machines (VMs) might be for you.

Factors such as increased connectivity and improved monitoring tools contribute to the record-breaking number of data breaches in 2018. However, the biggest contributor by far has to be the brazen ambition of hackers. That is, the counts aren’t getting bigger just because we’re getting better at counting breaches — the scope of cyberattacks has increased as well, with each major assault affecting hundreds of thousands to millions of users.

With the United States as the world leader in IT-driven innovations, it comes as no surprise that it also suffers the most data breach incidents. Greater connectivity means having a larger surface area to protect against network infiltrators and exfiltrators (i.e., internal actors who commit the unauthorized retrieval, transfer, or copying of data from inside a network outwards), be they malicious or unintentionally harmful in nature.

Losing your database can cripple your business. How do you ensure that packages have been sent to the appropriate delivery addresses if you lose your tracking information? How much longer will it take to finalize sales if your team has to revert to paper-based transaction records? How will your healthcare facility properly administer medicines to critically ill patients if you don’t know what drugs they are allergic to?

In this Information Age, having access to reliable data is crucial to running a business.

The business case for deploying Microsoft Office 365 across your organization is compelling. Depending on the subscription plan you choose, your staff gets to use feature-rich desktop versions of much-beloved productivity apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, basic-but-highly-useful web versions of those apps, plus other handy storage, communication, and collaboration tools such as OneDrive, Exchange, and SharePoint.

Running a business and fending off competitors is tough enough, but mounting threats to your company’s data and processes make everything more difficult. How can one cope with more sophisticated malware and complex government regulations that add costs to operations? And how can a small- to medium-sized business (SMB) navigate the sea of solutions that’s as broad in choices as it is deep in technical jargon?

SMBs can begin by raising their awareness of the current and foreseeable landscape.

Personal data is collected from us all the time. eCommerce sites store our purchasing habits info to push products we’re most likely to buy. Healthcare organizations collect everything from our vital signs to our treatment histories so that practically any physician in any facility can know critical details about our health, such as drug allergies.

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.

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.

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.