Posts in category: Cybersecurity

Word add-ins are a powerful tool to speed up the document creation process

Microsoft Word is extremely popular in most offices around the world. It is a powerful tool and can be even more powerful if used to its full potential. Add-ins are an example of this. It allows you to easily access information on the Internet, for example you can look up items on Wikipedia without leaving Microsoft Word. It can also add more functionality and fun to your documents and projects.

Microsoft Word Add-ins Recommended for everyday productivity

We’ve selected some recommended Word add-ins based on their popularity and applicability in general.

1 – Writing assistant

Writing assistants are a good option if you write with Word every day. They help with spelling, typos and grammar. If English is not your first language, they are even more necessary and can save you some time. They are powered by artificial intelligence and will flag errors and suggestions.

The image below shows an example of a search for grammar-related add-ins. We recommend giving preference to those with good reviews. Some are free and others require an additional purchase to get advanced tools.

2 – Handy calculator

Handy Calculator can save you a few seconds because it works alongside your open Word document in a task pane. It’s useful if your activity requires a lot of math and you don’t have a calculator on your desk. Once downloaded, it will open on the right side of your document.

3 – Search for symbols

If you would like to have access to more symbols than those offered by the Word Icon Gallery, you can add the Symbol Search Add-in to your selection. Symbol Search has a categorized lineup and a handy search box to find a unique symbol. Click More and find the registered symbol, double asterisks, subscript numbers etc.

4 – Pro Word Cloud

Sometimes you want to add a visual element to your document or emphasize something that appears frequently. An easy way to do this is to add a word cloud to your text, but you don’t want a generic word cloud, you want a cloud generated by your string of words. In this scenario, Pro Word Cloud can help you.

5 – Pexels

There are a lot of options when the subject is stock illustrations and images. To access the best you have to pay a subscription. But if you’re just looking for an image to add a visual element to your document, you’ll probably be happy with the free options and Creative Commons licensed images available in Pexels.

6 – Copyleaks plagiarism checker

As the name suggests, it is an add-on to check whether the document is original or contains pieces of information that could be classified as plagiarism. The cloud-based app uses its algorithms to scan each document and ensure its integrity. Copyleaks also supports multiple languages and allows you to scan up to 10 pages per month for free.

7 – Read my document

Basically, Read My Document is a text-to-speech converter that reads your Microsoft Office documents out loud. It can be useful for document editing, proofreading, etc. You can pick up a voice and the speech rate to get started. You can also do something else with it while the app reads the document. One concern is not to use it for extremely confidential documents, as the engine can send data over the Internet.

Individuals can play a critical role in their company’s cybersecurity by practicing good security habits and taking a vigilant and proactive approach.

Protecting our digital world is more important than ever before. As we navigate the interconnected technology landscape, the domain of cybersecurity is becoming increasingly complex.

Cybercriminals have become experts at social engineering and are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to trick you into clicking on malicious links and attachments. Ensuring that our employees have the knowledge and skills to better defend against these attacks is critical. This also includes increasing awareness and safe behavior.

How you can help?

Individuals can play a critical role in their company’s cybersecurity by practicing good security habits and taking a vigilant and proactive approach. This can actively contribute to creating a fortified environment, effectively protecting their business from potential cyber threats.

People:

Shape your behavior so that it reduces the likelihood and impact of security incidents. You can be the greatest security weapon.

Processes:

Consider how your daily processes and behavior could be affected by a security threat and potentially lead to a breach. Many incidents are caused by data misuse or human error.

Devices:

Remote work has increased risks as you use more home networks and personal devices and make your own decisions about potential threats. When you’re sitting in your home office, you can no longer casually turn to a neighboring colleague and ask if an email looks authentic.

The human element in particular has a major influence on cybersecurity risks. It is critical that our employees remain vigilant and have the necessary knowledge to defend against the ever-evolving techniques used by cybercriminals. In light of the increasing prevalence of sophisticated social engineering strategies, such as tricking employees into clicking on malicious links, it becomes crucial to equip oneself with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively counter these attacks.

Your role in cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is everyone’s job. As an employee, you play a crucial role in maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture. Here’s what you can do:

Stay informed:

Stay up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends, threats and best practices. Be aware of the risks and possible consequences of cyber attacks.

Use strong and unique passwords:

Create complex passwords by not using real words, but a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid reusing the same password for multiple accounts. Consider using a password manager to securely store and manage your passwords.

Be wary of phishing:

Be cautious of suspicious emails, emails that may contain funny return email addresses, misspellings or typos, links, attachments and requests for personal information. Verify the source and legitimacy of the communication before taking action.

Keep software updated:

Update your operating systems, applications and antivirus software regularly to ensure you have the latest security patches and protection against known vulnerabilities.

Secure your devices:

Protect your business devices with strong passwords or biometric authentication. Enable screen locks, encryption and remote track/wipe capabilities for smartphones and laptops.

Practice safe browsing:

Use only safe and reputable websites for online transactions. Avoid visiting suspicious websites that are poorly designed, have spelling mistakes and have a negative reputation. Do not click on unknown links or download files from unreliable sources. Use safe and reputable websites for online transactions.

Take social media into account:

Be careful when sharing sensitive or personal information. Take a moment and ask yourself if you are okay with the world knowing what you are about to communicate. Adjust the privacy settings to limit access to your personal information.

To report security incidents:

If you suspect cybersecurity incidents such as phishing attempts, malware infections or unauthorized access, please report them to our IT support team immediately.

Ongoing training and support

It is important that organizations commit to strengthening their awareness and skills in the field of cybersecurity. We want to help you stay informed and empowered in this ever-evolving landscape. At Pamazgoten we want to help individuals and organizations increase their knowledge and skills in the field of cybersecurity.

Remember that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and each of us plays a critical role in protecting our team and our organization. By practicing good cybersecurity habits, we create a safer work environment for everyone.

The number of mobile apps moving to cloud computing is growing extremely quickly. Cloud technology is beneficial for businesses. It leads to a reduction in operational and IT management costs. Additionally, cloud solutions can easily scale up and down based on business needs.

Let’s see what steps you need to follow to develop a cloud-based application.

What is a cloud-based application?

A cloud-based app is a software solution that handles the processing logic and data storage between client and server sides.

Basically, every app has a client side that users interact with and a server side that processes data and makes the app work. In the case of cloud-based applications, the data is processed by a remote server. In typical mobile apps via the smartphone or computer processor.

Steps to build a cloud-based application

Cloud-based application development is quite a challenging process that is different from mobile or web development and depends on the service provider. Let’s look at the five steps for cloud development.

1. Do market research

To attract early users, you need to conduct market research and understand your customers’ needs. This is how you build a valuable solution for the customers. Your target users need to understand why they should buy your product from others in the market.

2. Hire a development team

To create a cloud-based application, you need to hire an experienced team.

There are three popular options for hiring software developers:

• Freelance developers. The freelance hiring option is a good choice if you have a small project.
• Internal team. It is the right decision if you want to control the entire development process.
• Outsourced development team. It’s the right option if you want to build a development team as quickly as possible.

3. Consider architecture and functions

It is better to design an advanced data architecture. Classical architecture can be monolithic compared to microservices architecture. The main advantages of microservices architecture are rapid development projects, scalability and isolation.

4. Define the Tech Stack

Before choosing the cloud developer tools, it is better to consult business analytics. They assess your business requirements, desired features and design to choose the best tech stack for your product.

5 Test your product

Your development team should test your cloud-based app to ensure its functionalities work correctly. In this phase you ensure that it works smoothly, has no bugs and meets the user’s requirements.